A Most Powerful Magic
by SmurfLuvsCookies
Summary: Eighteen one-shots about the Fairy Tail couples and their slow realization of what truly is the most powerful magic in the universe.
1. Levy and Gajeel

_**Summary**: Mixing business with pleasure is not an easy concept. Our favorite blue-haired bookworm and Iron Dragonslayer soon discover this when they are forced to work together on a private job for Master Makarov. Will this lead to an epiphany of epic proportions? Or will they remain captive to the realms of friendship forever?_

_*Warning, I'm not prone to OOC-ness, so if that's what you're looking for then you won't find it in any of these stories. _

_Also, as I'm sure you know, I don't own any of the endearing, awesome, fantastic characters of Fairy Tail. I don't own any of the lame ones either, not that there are many. Anything pertaining to the original story belongs to Mashima Hiro completely. _

* * *

**Levy and Gajeel**

**by: Smurfluvscookies**

Levy drifted down the dimly lit street to Fairy Hills, transfixed by the soft glow of twilight reflecting off the wet cobblestones. Winking fireflies circled the lush grass with lazy contentment, enjoying the heavy, moist summer air. Levy breathed in the rainwater aroma deeply, closing her eyes to the peaceful serenade of crickets. It was evenings like this that she loved; the calm before the storm. Raging summer thunderstorms had assaulted the city of Magnolia for the past week, much to the distress of the members of Fairy Tail who had to walk to and from the guild. Even now, there were purple clouds swirling threateningly on the horizon.

When Fairy Hills popped into sight, the gentle drizzle that had begun to mist down from the sky suddenly became fiercer, heavy enough to be called rain. Levy quickened her pace until she was safe under shelter. Shaking out her cloud of blue hair, she walked up the outside stairs until she came to the back entrance of her apartment. Digging around in her purse, she produced an overflowing keyring and promptly picked out an average brass key, sliding it in the lock and entering her home.

She looked around, dropping the keys back into her purse. It didn't seem like anything had been touched; not that she really would have been able to tell, considering the motley of books that occupied every single corner of the room. Most were stacked in haphazard piles, since she had run out of room on the bookshelves that lined the walls from floor to ceiling. To Levy, there was no such thing as too many books. She squinted in the direction of the kitchen with a frown, peaking out behind a mountain of literature. Had she left that light on?

Levy stepped forward, over the papers that formed a second carpet on her floor. She couldn't recall leaving the kitchen light on; in fact, she couldn't recall using the kitchen at all this morning. She normally ate at the guild.

Suddenly, an arm shot out from a pile of books.

Levy screamed and whipped out the pen she used for solid script incantations, shrieking the word "electricity" when the muscular arm quickly became attached to a shoulder. The word zapped out from her pen, hanging in the air for hardly a second before pursuing the invader. The perpetrator's arm convulsed along with an agonized screech from which it had projected itself.

"Shit! Dammit, shorty!" the voice said. The volcano of books erupted, revealing a singed Gajeel. Levy leapt back with a mixture of fear and humiliation. What was the deadly Iron Dragonslayer doing in her home? Besides that, she'd just zapped him!

"I'm so sorry!" she cried, helping him unearth himself from the smoking pile of media. He shook his head to clear it, smoothing back the porcupine he called hair. After Gajeel was composed, he glared down at her with irritation.

"Do you just go around electrocuting your visitors?" he inquired harshly, pinching a piece of sizzling hair between his thumb and forefinger.

Levy gaped. "Visitor? More like intruder!"

"Your window wasn't locked, so I let myself in," Gajeel excused, shrugging.

"What normal person comes in through the window?" Levy pointed out. She had a new understanding for what Lucy went through every day, remembering the many accounts in which her fair haired friend had complained about Natsu, Gray, and Erza constantly bursting into her house without permission.

Gajeel snorted. "Who said I was normal?"

"Good point," Levy sighed, dropping her purse on the counter (probably the only space in her apartment that wasn't overflowing with literature, though it did have it's share of soon-to-be opened cookbooks) and bustled about for something for her and Gajeel to eat. As she searched aimlessly for the nonexistent food supply, she continued to interrogate Gajeel. "What are you doing here anyway? Not that I mind the company, but generally people give me a warning before they come over."

"I'm actually here because the old geezer asked me to give you this personally," Gajeel said, digging around in his pocket. He pulled out a scroll and dropped it into Levy's outstretched hands. "He said it was for a job or somethin', and that he'd give you a good chunk of cash to decipher it."

"I see," Levy commented absently, intrigued by this new knowledge. She tentatively opened the scroll, blinking when her eyes came in contact with the intricate lettering of some foreign language. _What is this?_ she thought, her brow puckering. It wasn't anything she'd ever encountered before.

Curiously, Gajeel looked over her shoulder. It wasn't a hard feat for him, considering their enormous height difference, but it did give Levy a little bit of trouble concentrating. Heat radiated off of Gajeel like a furnace; his hot breath slithered down Levy's neck. Despite this warmth, she had to suppress a shiver. Her heart hammered in her chest.

"This...looks familiar..." he said, snapping Levy out of her daze.

"What? You've seen this before?" Levy said, looking up at Gajeel hopefully. This writing was one that she had never set eyes on; she couldn't even tell it's origin, much less read it.

"Yeah, but I can't remember where..."

"Do you think it might have something to do with Metallicana?" Levy implored, pausing to grasp the steel dragon's name from the depths of her memory.

"I dunno, but that's a good place to start." Gajeel brushed by her and started walking towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Levy asked, swallowing the edge disappointment that sliced through her voice.

"_We're _gonna go by my place and see if there's anything there that might help," Gajeel said, motioning for her to follow him. "I don't exactly do a lot of reading, so whatever that shit is it'll probably be there."

Levy quickly rolled up the scroll, grabbed her jacket and turned off the kitchen light, grinning broadly all the while.

_/T.T\_

Gajeel only lived a mile or two away from Fairy Hills. However, since Levy didn't have time to get an umbrella, they had to run through the steady falling of the rain. Well, they _tried _to run. Eventually they gave into walking because Levy couldn't keep up with Gajeel and he had to keep waiting for her to catch up. By the time they ducked under the shelter of his apartment complex, they were dripping wet and soaked to the skin. The only thing that was relatively dry was the scroll, which Levy had done her best to shield.

"Gah, I hate wet clothes," Gajeel growled as his boots made a goofy squeak with every step he took.

"Agreed," Levy said, taking down her hair and wringing out her bandanna.

Gajeel opened the door to his apartment, not bothering with a lock. Levy supposed he wouldn't really need one because there wasn't anybody stupid enough to break into a Dragonslayer's den.

Levy was more than curious to see what kind of conditions Gajeel lived in. She had tried to come up with a vague idea at least, but her mind didn't produce anything. When she hesitantly poked her head through the door, she was relatively surprised. His apartment shockingly neat, but when she pointed this out he said that Pantherlily was a clean freak, and that the feline was the one who did all the tidying. The furniture was simple and practical, but Levy did notice that none of it was metal. Perhaps because he would have the temptation to eat it? She chuckled at the thought.

There weren't a lot of personal items lying around, just some scrap metal and the occasional trinket. There _was _one whole shelf dedicated to snowglobes, and Gajeel warned her that she better not tell anyone, or else. Levy nodded in acknowledgement.

Levy was disappointed to find that, underneath the snowglobe shelf, there were only four or five thin books. Gajeel had told the truth when he said he didn't do much reading.

When Levy turned to mention this, she caught Gajeel pulling his shirt off over his head. Her vibrant blush was instantaneous. "Gajeel! What are you doing?"

"Huh? I was gonna get some other clothes..." he stalked off, looking back at her like _she _was the one with the problem. She slumped down into a chair, hiding her red face in her hands. It was obvious that the Iron Dragonslayer was ripped but...wow. Her scarlet face only became brighter when she recalled his rippling muscles, no longer contained by the layers of black fabric she was so used to seeing.

Levy was suddenly hit in the face with similar black fabric. She straightened up, unfolding the dark t-shirt he'd thrown at her. Gajeel stood in the living room, taking a towel to his hair ferociously. "You can wear that for right now, 'til your clothes dry. It's big on me, so it'll probably be a dress or somethin' on you," he said. Levy nodded and evacuated the room before he got a chance to notice the renewed brilliance of her face.

She closed the door behind her with a sigh. The room she'd ducked into looked to be Gajeel's bedroom, much to her embarrassment. Most of the minuscule room was consumed by a giant bed, on which was a tangled mass of black sheets. This room was a bit more personalized than the other, most of the furniture finished with a layer of leather and studded with metal. Squished in the corner there was a desk with several maps and a few more books. Levy wandered over to this area curiously. The maps were of Fiore and lands beyond, chaotic circles, arrows, and X's scratched onto the yellowing paper in red. Beside this mountain of paper was a single silver scale encased in glass. Levy peered at it inquisitively. It was too big to be anything but a dragon scale, she knew this for certain. Perhaps...perhaps Gajeel was trying to find his dragon, Metallicana, like Natsu was tracking Igneel?

With a start, Levy realized that she was snooping, something that was most definitely off limits. This cramped little desk was in Gajeel's bedroom, so it must stand to reason that he didn't want prying eyes like hers shifting through it. Levy hurriedly stripped herself of her wet clothes and slipped on Gajeel's t-shirt, inhaling as she fingered the descending hem. His scent engulfed her, an odor she couldn't quite describe.

"Gajeel, where are your towels?" she called suddenly, tugging at her dripping blue tresses.

After a pause, she heard, "In the bathroom cabinet."

Levy looked left and right for a door to this elusive bathroom. She had to step over a heaping pile of discarded clothes (which she recognized as the wet ones Gajeel had just changed out of) to get to the door. Pantherlily seemed inclined to clean the bathroom as well, much to Levy's relief. She grabbed a towel and did her best to dry her hair, only causing it to be even more of a disheveled mess. Sighing, she clawed through it with her fingers. The rain was sure to trigger the ever-threatening ball of frizz that was about to erupt on her head.

Gathering up her clothes, she rescued the scroll from her pocket and padded out of Gajeel's bedroom to decipher it.

_/T.T\_

Gajeel rolled one of his snowglobes around in his hands as he waited for Levy to get done changing, a towel tossed over his head carelessly. She was taking an awfully long time. _Probably trying to get that crazy-ass blush out of her cheeks_, he thought, chuckling. He would certainly have some fun with this.

He didn't know what had possessed him to invite Levy over. The script on the scroll did look familiar, and he did probably have it in one of the books Metallicana had passed down to him, but it wasn't necessary for her to be there. He considered the idea for a while, then decided that it wasn't a big deal. It wasn't like she was spending the night or anything. She'd probably stay until the scroll was figured out, then she'd go home.

As if to contradict this, the gentle pitter-pat of rain outside became louder.

The door to the apartment opened, revealing Pantherlily. Gajeel blinked in surprise at his Exceed companion. There were instances when Pantherlily didn't come home, and Gajeel had counted on tonight being one of those times. The cat shook water out of his coat with aggravation, scowling at the gloomy night. "I hate thunderstorms."

Gajeel replied with a grunt.

"Where did you come from? Your hair's all wet," the cat continued.

Gajeel opened his mouth to answer, but Levy's voice issued from his bedroom before he could. "Gajeel, where are your towels?"

Pantherlily's usual impassive expression dissolved into one of excitement. Gajeel scowled at him as he relayed directions to Levy, receiving a distant "okay" in return. Pantherlily smirked, waiting for Gajeel to explain. "Don't give me that look," the Iron Dragonslayer defended, crossing his arms over his chest and jutting out his chin stubbornly. "It's for a job."

"Uh-huh," Lily said, quirking an eyebrow as Levy tapped in. Her attire really didn't do anything to help Gajeel's case, as she was dressed in only one of his t-shirts. Granted, the hem was just above her knees and it was longer than the stuff she normally flounced, but it was suggestive just the same. Gajeel gritted his teeth, hiding his face from her. _When did she get so fucking adorable?_

Her smile lit up the room when she spotted Pantherlily. "Hi, Lily! I haven't seen you in a while."

"Hello, Levy," the cat greeted with exaggerated emphasis, sparing Gajeel a sympathetic glance. "I'm afraid I can't talk right now, I was just stopping by to get something."

"Oh, that's too bad," Levy frowned.

"I'll most definitely see you later though," Pantherlily grinned, wheeling around and making his way to the door from which he had just come. Gajeel glowered after him for the nasty assumptions he was sure to be forming in his head. The Exceed made his leave, waving goodbye.

"Bye!" Levy said cheerfully. She shifted the damp clothes in her hands uncertainly, turning to her host. "Where do you want me to put these so they can dry?"

"Over there's fine," Gajeel said, pointing. He watched her spread her clothes on the floor neatly, smoothing them out with her hands. She seemed so involved in such a simple task, giving it all her concentration. Why she focused on it so, Gajeel couldn't figure out. Suddenly, she turned to him expectantly and he realized she'd said something. "What was that?"

"I asked which one of your books you wanted to start looking in," Levy repeated, holding up the mysterious scroll.

"I dunno, just bring all of 'em over here."

Levy obliged, struggling under the weight of the books. Gajeel took half of her load and set them down on the table. He sighed, eyes glazing over at the prospect of reading all those words. At his pace it would take forever. When he voiced this, Levy thought for a moment. Then, she giggled. "Here, you can take these," she said, holding something out to him. It was a pair of reading glasses, very girlie. Levy explained that they helped a person read faster.

"I'm not _that _desperate," Gajeel said, pushing the glasses away. Levy snickered again and settled them on her face, tying her hair up in the same instant. She curled up on the floor next to the coffee table, leaning on the couch where Gajeel sat. Before long, there was a book in Gajeel's lap. He stared at it like an idiot.

"Start reading," Levy ordered, cracking open a book of her own.

Gajeel wrinkled his nose and half-heartily flipped open the book to a random page. He probably wasn't doing the whole "research" thing right, but he didn't particularly care. He never really understood why something that had already been searched once needed to be searched for again. Besides, he was finding it increasingly difficult to focus on the task at hand with Levy's still form mere inches away. After about five minutes of staring blankly at the same page, he closed the book and stood. "I'm hungry. You?"

"No thanks," Levy said absently, bent over her book. Gajeel shrugged and stalked off to the kitchen to get something to eat. When he came back, Levy had changed books. He gaped. The book wasn't particularly thick, but there's no way she could've read it all in the time he was gone. "I didn't," she said when he asked her about it. "I just skimmed through it, looking for something relevant to the job."

_That's smart_, Gajeel thought blatantly, rolling an iron nail between his teeth. As he watched her work, he decided that he wasn't going to be much help whether he tried or not. So, he sat back down on the couch and observed her studying instead.

There was a spontaneous roll of thunder that made them both jump. They'd failed to notice that the storm was steadily becoming fiercer and fiercer as the night progressed. It seemed to Gajeel that Levy would have difficulty walking home if it kept up like this.

The weather seemed prone to reading his thoughts tonight, because in that instant the lights flickered out.

"Dammit," Gajeel swore, standing and immediately knocking his knee on the coffee table.

"Don't worry, I got it," Levy's voice said. "Light!"

The room was illuminated with the word, a bright white gleam. Gajeel blinked, his eyes adjusting to the sudden change. Levy stood beside him, placing her pen back in it's holder. "Do you have any candles?"

"Yeah, probably," Gajeel said, rummaging around. Levy searched as well, and together they discovered two candles and a flashlight. Gajeel lit the candles, and Levy flipped on the flashlight, extinguishing her solid script and flopping down on the couch to continue with her research. _She's certainly making herself at home_, he thought, pleased with the idea for some reason. He collapsed down next to her, stretching and staring out the window. "Are you really gonna walk home in that shit?"

"I guess so..." Levy said, frowning as lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a clap of thunder. "Maybe it'll calm down by the time I find something."

"Maybe," Gajeel said. "But it's already pretty late. Why don't you just stay here?"

"Huh?" Levy exclaimed, the heat of her blush reaching his skin from where he was splayed.

"Yeah, why not? You've spent the night at the stooges' houses right?"

"Um, y-yeah but..."

"So how's this any different?" Gajeel finished with a shrug.

"I guess it's not," Levy said with dejection.

It was silent as she, once again, fell into the open arms of literature.

_/T.T\_

Levy was decrypting the last line of the scroll.

She got lucky on the third book, entitled, _Early Hierarchies of the Dragon Species_. Contained within the book was fascinating information about dragon culture (she would most certainly have to borrow this book from Gajeel), including, much to her satisfaction, the complete dragon alphabet translated into English. She did meet some rough patches in which she had to improvise, but that was to be expected in any translation. It was evident that this book was an exceedingly rare copy, probably one of the few that was still in such amazing condition. With the disappearance of dragons, the heritage was also dissipating.

Levy paused in her work to glance at the sleeping Gajeel. He'd passed out a few hours ago, splayed across the couch with comfortable familiarity. He couldn't have understood how much of a disappointment it was when he told her that sleeping over at his place was no different than if she had spent the night at Jet and Droy's. It was common knowledge in Fairy Tail that she'd rejected both of her dear friends, and this comparison to them was a rejection of it's own sort.

She turned completely away from her work, resting her chin on her hand. Gajeel looked so much calmer when he was asleep. All the anger was wiped off his face in favor of a blank slate. Levy was intrigued to find out that the silver piercings that lined his arms and face (well, she supposed they were piercings; she didn't have a better definition for them) were also apparent on his abdomen, a silver stud dotting each ab. In a half-awake, half-asleep stupor, she caught herself trailing her fingers over these metal pieces. Her hand went up his stomach, past his chest, and began sliding down his arms. The muscles of his arms were relaxed, not wound tightly like coils as they normally were.

Gajeel's other arm suddenly shot up, catching her hand in his.

Levy's face went white, horrified at the prospect of being discovered in such a thoughtless action. Her raging panic relaxed fractionally when she realized that his eyes were still closed, and that his chest was gently rising and falling under her hand. He was asleep. Perhaps it had just been a reflex. Deciding that this was the most plausible (and relieving) theory, she sighed outwardly.

Though she was drowsy before, she was wide awake now. The adrenaline that had rushed through her system ensured that. She needed to finish this scroll. Carefully extracting her hand, Levy got back to work. _Almost done, almost done_, she chanted in her head. It became a second heartbeat, this simple phrase. _Almost done, almost done_.

After another hour or so, she dropped her pen down on the table with flourish. Done done done! She was done! Thank goodness! Levy didn't even take the time to read it, for she wasn't sure she was coherent enough to get passed the first line, as her eyelids had grown heavier and heavier over the duration of her work. She took down her hair and leaned back on the couch. Now that she was done, she could finally sleep. Sleep...

Unknown to the sleeping Levy, Gajeel had been awake since the moment her skin made contact with his. If she thought that the light touch wouldn't be enough to wake even a Dragonslayer, she'd been terribly mistaken. He hadn't made any sign of being conscious, simply intrigued as to what she would do next. The sensation of her touch was increasingly enticing, and he wished to relish it for all that it was. As her fingers had trailed up his chest, Gajeel couldn't resist the urge to trap her hand. He felt the exhilarated jump that took place afterward, and the thumping of her pulse as she realized that she'd been caught. The expression on her face in that moment would have been priceless, but Gajeel was afraid that she might actually die of embarrassment if he'd revealed that he was awake. So, he continued to be asleep, keeping a hold of her hand until she gently slipped it out of his grasp and supposedly got back to her scroll.

Now, he heard her breathing become peaceful and deep, signifying slumber. He opened one eye, peaking at her form curled up on the other side of the sofa. Levy was so _tiny_. Using her arm as a pillow, she'd folded herself in such a way that she didn't even take up half the couch. It was insanely winsome, Gajeel had to admit. There was a piece of blue hair that was bothering him, though, so he swiftly brushed it off her forehead and smoothed it back into place. Her hair was soft.

Content, Gajeel settled back down on the couch, resting his feet on the coffee table and folding his arms behind his head. He could probably sneak into his own bed if he really wanted to, but...

...well, he was already pretty comfy at the moment.

_/T.T\_

When Gajeel ascended from the depths of unconsciousness the next morning, he discovered that there was a great surprise waiting for him. He blinked away sleep from his vision, rubbing his eyes and stretching his stiff arms. It was when he rolled his shoulders, smacked his lips, and was completely intent on getting a drink of water did he realized something was amiss. Looking down, he found out what that something was.

Levy's head was pillowed on his lap.

Gajeel recoiled, befuddled beyond belief. Though he was absolutely trembling with perplexity from the waist up, his legs remained perfectly still. Despite the fact that he was having a bout of utter astonishment, he didn't want to wake up Levy. She looked very serene at the moment and he knew that she'd stayed up particularly late last night working on the scroll. As he frantically searched for a solution for his problem, he idly wondered how he hadn't noticed her change into such a position last night.

Even as he wondered this, he suddenly realized that there was no problem. Yes, Levy was using his lap as a pillow, but that was no issue was it? It's not like he had anything vitally important to do. Why was he so concerned? Certainly his nonplussed reaction had been justified, but that didn't mean there was any reason to see the situation as a predicament.

Besides, her reaction was going to be incredibly entertaining.

Gajeel thought about this, smirking. There was really no telling what she would do, because she was so damn unpredictable. Whatever the reaction, it was bound to be humorous in nature. The moment he was experiencing now, though, was as valuable as her aftershock. He found that he wasn't getting tired or bored staring at her sleeping form. Strange.

As Levy began to stir, Gajeel awaited anxiously for the moment. She shifted, then her eyes fluttered open, taking in her surroundings. Blinking and squinting, she fingered his t-shirt and sat up on her elbow. It was then that she met his beseeching gaze.

Her face was immediately drained of color as realization dawned on her. With a yelp, she scurried away from Gajeel and straight over the arm of the couch, knocking over a bunch of research materials in the process. There was a rather boisterous clatter and a thump as she hit the floor, but Gajeel could see nothing except her feet sticking up in the air. He would have been concerned for her safety if he hadn't seen many other clumsy episodes such as this at the guild. That, and the fact that if he checked on her now he would definitely see her underwear and she would undoubtedly be scandalized.

He watched her feet slowly sink out of sight, then heard a hesitant shuffle as she recovered herself. A tangle of blue hair peaked over the arm of the couch, followed by a wide, crinkled forehead and two brown, dismayed eyes.

"Mornin'," he said.

"How long have you been awake?" she mumbled.

"A while," Gajeel said vaguely, enjoying himself to an enormous extent.

Her face slid out of view. There was thump as she knocked her head against the wall. And another thump. And another. And another. Gajeel chuckled and decided to rescue her from her misery. He stood and walked around until he was standing over her slumped form. She stopped knocking her head against the wall, but she did not turn around.

"The old man wanted that scroll as soon as you were done with it," he hinted.

She turned to look at him, her expression hollow. "Are you kicking me out of your house?"

"Huh? No, I'm just sayin'. You could do that, or you could stay here." Gajeel shrugged. "S'up to you."

Levy gave him a puzzled look. Then she sighed with...regret? "I think I better deliver this to Master Makarov." She changed into her clothes, gathered up her belongings, and slipped on her shoes. As she placed her hand on the doorknob, she turned and said, "I'll talk to you later at the guild right?"

"Yup," Gajeel said.

"Okay then," she said. Then, with a wave, she left.

Pantherlily entered mere minutes later. "I just saw her leave," he said, nudging Gajeel with his small elbow and winking. "She spent the night. How'd things go?"

"I don't like what you're suggesting," Gajeel spat, crossing his arms. "She only stayed the night 'cause it was raining so hard outside, thank you!"

"Of course, _that's _what happened," Pantherlily taunted, bending over and picking something up off the ground. "She left her bandanna."

Gajeel snatched it from the Exceed's paws, turning it over in his hands. It was her red one, with pink polka-dots. He felt terribly degraded holding the article of clothing, but he stuffed it in his pocket. "I'll give it to her later."

"So you already made other plans, eh?"

"Shaddup!"

_/T.T\_

It wasn't until Levy was preparing for a shower did she realize that she was missing her favorite bandanna. Sighing, she stepped into the relaxing warm water. _I'll ask Gajeel about it later_.

Even thinking his name was enough to arouse her sense of mortification. How could she have done that? Even if it was in her sleep, how could she have ended up like that? It was awful and horrifying and if it had been anybody but Gajeel she'd probably never hear the end of it. But, thankfully, it was Gajeel and he probably was thinking nothing of it now. Which, as she considered it, wasn't much of an improvement.

_What do you want him to do?_ she thought to herself bitterly. _Confess his undying love to you? Come on, it's _Gajeel_. That's never going to happen. You need to face the facts; if this relationship is gonna go anywhere, then you'll have to be the one to start it_. She convinced herself of this and even rehearsed the several ways she could put her plan into action, but deep down inside she knew that she would never have the courage to do it.

After getting dressed and going though her morning routine, Levy decided that she would eat breakfast at the guild (again) and grabbed the scroll. Idly, she wondered how much Master Makarov would pay for her decryption...

When she made it to the guild after a long, relaxing walk through the heavy morning mist, she discovered that the "good chunk of cash" she'd been promised was a mere 2,000 jewels. It wasn't much, but she supposed that the assignment itself wasn't anything too difficult, just the conditions in which she'd performed it.

Since it was so early in the morning there was hardly anyone at the guild. Levy spotted Mirajane and Lisanna chatting at the bar, so she decided to go visit with them. Soon, though, her attention was occupied by Jet and Droy when they arrived. Apparently they'd planned to go to breakfast with her, but she wasn't home when they'd checked. Levy told them that she'd been working on a quick job for Master Makarov and apologized for inconveniencing them. Truthfully, she wasn't really paying much attention to anything except the door. Fairy Tail was quickly filling up with people and she was aimlessly searching for one Dragonslayer in particular. She saw Wendy come in with Charle, and she spotted Natsu and Happy make their entrance after Lucy, but there was no Gajeel in sight. It was during this time that she did realize all the Dragonslayers had a Exceed companion, which struck her as odd.

Jet stopped mid-sentence, suddenly sharing a glare with Droy directed at something behind Levy. She felt a hand on her shoulder and raised her eyebrows imploringly as it turned her around. Her eyes widened when she saw Gajeel, because she had not noticed him come in. "Hey, shorty," he said.

"Hi."

He dug around in his pocket, pulling out a piece of red and pink cloth. It was her bandanna. "You left this at my house _last night_," he explained with slow exaggeration on the last two words, handing the bandanna to her. Levy took it, feeling the eyes of Jet and Droy burning holes in her back like a physical heat. Gajeel's statement hung in the air with heavy awkwardness, as he had clearly said it just to test the tempers of her friends. The Iron Dragonslayer was enjoying their emotional torture more than he had a right to. Levy thanked him, at a loss of what else to say.

Gajeel nodded and walked away. She watched him do so, registering that Jet and Droy were talking to her but not hearing what they said. For, she discovered with sudden determination, this was the time to do it. The time to ask Gajeel out. If she didn't do it now, she knew that she would never be able to do it again.

So, shrugging off her friends' questions, comments, and concerns, she chased after Gajeel. He turned when she called his name, raising his eyebrows. Levy stood in front of him with clenched fists and a red, pinched face, looking defiant rather than persuasive. Her words came out in such a rush that Gajeel didn't understand her. "Doyouwannagetbreakfast?"

He stared at her, puzzled. "Huh?"

Levy breathed, trying to calm herself down in an effort to speak more slowly. "Do you want to get breakfast," she said, adding "with me?" at the end for good measure.

Gajeel blinked. "Sure..."

"Great!" Levy said, relieved at not being completely rejected. She waved Jet and Droy's baffled faces goodbye before grabbing Gajeel's arm and dragging him out of the guild and onto the soggy street. They walked in silence for a while before Gajeel asked her a hesitant question.

"So...is this like...a date?" he said.

"If you want...though it would be nice if you said yes," Levy said, peaking up at Gajeel shyly.

Gajeel shrugged. "Then sure, it's a date."

Levy smiled with relief.

They walked for a while longer. The morning air was crisp and dewy after the frequent rains, but now the sky was a clear, solid blue. It didn't look like there would be any rain for a while. As much as Levy liked thunderstorms, it was nice to see sunlight on the streets of Magnolia again.

"Just so you know," Gajeel said as they turned the corner to the pancake house, about a block away from Fairy Tail. "You don't gotta use an excuse like a job to stay the night at my place. Come over whenever."

Levy ceased walking, a blush coloring her face. _What? What did he just say?_ her inner monologue cried frantically, going into overdrive. _Did he just say what I think he said?_

Gajeel, who had continued walking, looked back at her with a smirk. "You comin', shorty?"

Levy nodded, the blush blooming across her face once more, and followed Gajeel into the pancake house. She had a feeling that this was the start of a beautiful more-than-friendship.

* * *

**Levy and Gajeel - End**


	2. Juvia and Gray

_**Summary**: She's always there, always following him like the thin stream of water that trails behind a roaming glacier. No one has taken such interest in him, not since Ur died. Secretly, Gray likes the fact that someone needs him. But when his watery shadow suddenly disappears without an explanation, the layers of ice that subconsciously formed around his heart so many years ago, the ice that Juvia has been chipping away for so long, are in danger of breaking, melting away like winter's snow in the presence of warm summer's sun._

_*I'm so glad that the first chapter got positive feedback! Levy and Gajeel are my particularly favorite couple at the moment, so I'll probably do a little more with them. I sincerely hope you enjoy this next story, and don't forget to review! :D _

_Also, I don't own anybody from Fairy Tail or guilds beyond, though I wish I did. Everything belongs to the absolutely brilliant Mashima Hiro._

* * *

**Juvia and Gray**

**By: Smurfluvscookies**

Something was very wrong here.

Gray couldn't place his finger on it, but he knew something was amiss. He analyzed the dining hall of Fairy Tail, looking for clues as to what might be bothering him. Natsu was irking Lucy; Cana was drinking; Elfman was attempting to be manly; Jet and Droy were following Levy as she beamed up at Gajeel; Happy was presenting Charle with (yet another) fish; Mirajane was at the bar, talking to Lisanna; Master Makarov was staring after the waitresses; and so on and so on. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, so why did he feel like something was?

"GRAAAAY!" Natsu roared in his ear, appearing out of nowhere. Gray leapt back with a shout, scowling at his rival.

"Are you trying to kill me?" he yelled back, knocking the Fire Dragonslayer on the head.

Natsu hit Gray in return, glaring. "I was just coming to tell you that it's your turn to pick a job, stupid! Lucy needs money for rent!"

"Don't hit me!" Gray retorted, kicking the Salamander.

"You hit me first!" Natsu accused, grabbing Gray's necklace in the absence of a shirt.

Erza popped up beside them and bashed their heads together, disrupting their argument. As they rubbed their sure-to-be-bruised noggins, she explained to Gray in a nonchalant manner, "Lucy needs money for rent and it's your turn to pick the job, Gray. So hurry up."

"I-it's really not that big of a deal..." Lucy said, abashed that her need for money had caused all this commotion.

"I'll go pick a freakin' job," Gray muttered, stomping towards the bulletin board beside the bar. As he searched for a job that paid a decent amount (Lucy wasn't the only one who was devoid of money at the moment), he felt eyes on the back of his head. Turning, he saw Mirajane peering behind the bulletin board and glancing at him again. She noticed that he was staring at her and quickly resumed cleaning the bar. Gray scowled. "What are you looking for?"

"I was just wondering...did Juvia take a job? I haven't seen her around in a while," the barmaid explained, sneaking a peak again behind the bulletin board as if the elusive water mage had suddenly appeared there in the course of five seconds.

Gray thought. "I don't think so..."

"Strange," Mirajane decided, tapping over to Cana, who had requested another drink. Gray stood at the board thoughtfully, no longer looking at the flyers. Perhaps it was Juvia's absence that was making the day so off-kilter. He was almost certain that she didn't take any jobs, as she always told him when she would be gone for long intervals of time, but he couldn't think of anywhere else she might be.

Still, the topic bothered him a considerable amount, so he begrudgingly wandered over to Gajeel's table to see if Juvia had told her ex-Phantom companion if she'd been going anywhere.

"What?" Gajeel growled. "How the fuck should I know where she is?"

"I don't think she took a job," Levy offered, resting her elbows on the wooden surface of the table thoughtfully. "She was sitting at the bar yesterday, looking kind of depressed. She wouldn't tell me what was wrong when I asked her, though."

Gray opened his mouth to encourage more information out of her, but Erza interrupted him by chucking a mug at the back of his head. "Gray! Have you found a job yet? Lucy might be homeless by the time you decide!"

"Lu-chan's in financial trouble?" Levy implored, looking concerned.

"Nah, she just needs a job," Gray sighed, glaring at the isolated mug which had fallen to the floor soon after colliding with his skull.

"Oh...well, if we see Juvia we'll be sure to tell you!" Levy said cheerfully, waving at Lucy as she followed Natsu and Erza over to where Gray was standing.

" 'We?' " Gajeel repeated.

"GRAAAAY!" Natsu howled for the second time that morning. "Pick a job, or I'll pick one for you!"

"Aye," Happy said.

"So fuckin' loud," Gajeel muttered, sticking a finger in his ear.

"Fine!" Gray shouted, plucking a random flyer off the board and sticking it in Natsu's face. "Here! That's the job I wanna do!"

Erza leaned forward, reading the flyer. "You want to participate in the annual Miss Magnolia beauty pageant?"

"What? No!" Gray said, turning the flyer around so he could read it for himself.

"Gray, is something bothering you?" Lucy asked spontaneously, frowning at the ice mage.

Gray sighed crossly. He didn't particularly want to admit that he was worried about Juvia, but they might know where she went. He hesitantly told them about her sudden absence, and the feeling of subtle dread that had settled in his stomach.

"She left for a mission," Natsu said after he was finished, adding a "duh!" at the end simply to annoy Gray.

"No, because she always tells me when she leaves for missions," Gray pointed out. "Besides, Levy said she was depressed yesterday."

"I think that she just had some personal business to attend to," Erza suggested wistfully.

"Yeah, that would make sense," Lucy agreed.

"Aye," Happy said.

"Okay, so let's get on with a mission!" Natsu declared, shoving Gray aside in order to get to the board. "You're choice sucked, so I'm gonna pick now."

Erza grabbed the back of Natsu's shirt with frustration. "Nevertheless, I think that we should find Juvia first. Just to make sure she's okay."

"Juvia can take care of herself," Gajeel said, suddenly hopping into the conversation and dodging the struggling Natsu in order to snatch a flyer off the bulletin board. "She _was_ one of the Element Four."

"Who asked you?" Erza snapped, stomping from the guild with Natsu in tow. Exchanging a glance, Gray and Lucy decided to follow. As Erza continued to drag a complaining Natsu, Gray asked where they were going.

"Her house, of course," Erza said immediately.

"Do any of you know where she lives?" Gray asked.

There was silence. "You mean you don't?" Erza inquired.

"Of course not! Why the hell would I know where she lives?" Gray objected.

"I just assumed..." Erza said, shaking her head. She changed direction, nearly choking Natsu in the process.

"Where are we going now?" Happy said for his tongue-tied friend.

"Back to the guild. I bet Mirajane knows where her house is," Erza explained, dropping Natsu in a jumbled heap at the front door of the guild. "Wait here, I'll be back in a second. In the meantime, Gray needs to put on pants."

"Woah! When did that happen?"

_/T.T\_

Juvia was curled under her covers miserably, each sniffle sending throbbing pains through her head. She was warm to the touch, yet she was shivering under layers of blankets. Her fair skin was scarlet in a ceaseless blush, though she wasn't embarrassed. She didn't even have the strength to get out of bed, though she really did try.

What was this?

When the word "sick" came to mind, Juvia quickly dismissed it. Never, not once in her entire life, had she ever been ill. Though she was constantly stalked by a storm cloud, she'd never suffered so much as the common cold. Juvia had heard people tell stories about the terrifying illness, but she refused to believe that she could ever catch it. She was untouchable when it came to viruses.

From her front door, there came a rapid knocking. She sat up inquisitively. No one ever came to visit her, because her house was so out-of-the-way. And it was such an angry knock. Her eyes widened in fear. Perhaps someone had come to rob her or kill her? That would be horrible!

There was a boisterous clamor and the sound of splintering wood. Quaking, Juvia shriveled into her blanket. Someone was going to kill her, and then she would be dead! She'd never see Gray-sama or anyone from Fairy Tail ever again. Her eyes pricked with tears.

"Natsu! You can't just knock down her door!" she heard a female voice say. She recognized it as Lucy's. _What are Lucy and Natsu doing in Juvia's home? _she thought, relieved that her initial assumption was proved false but confused by this sudden arrival.

"Well, she didn't answer," the Salamander said, as if his action was perfectly justified.

"Idiot..."

Juvia perked up when she heard Gray's voice. Gray, he'd come to visit her! Juvia's eyes grew soft with her fantasies; her blue hair flowing in the wind...his naked skin in the moonlight...their lips, just barely...

Suddenly, Juvia looked down at herself in horror. No, Gray mustn't see her like this! Her skin was blotchy and red, her hair was greasy and unwashed, not to mention the fact that she hadn't even changed out of her pajamas! And they weren't even her flattering pajamas! No, Gray mustn't see her like this at all.

She thought about disappearing, but all her excitement had brought on a bout of dizziness. She clutched her head to keep the room from spinning, when Natsu suddenly burst in her room. "FOUND HER!" he screeched, Happy peaking over his shoulder. Juvia ducked under her blanket, hoping that Gray would ignore his idiot of a rival.

"Where?" she heard Gray say.

"She's in there," Happy explained. "I think she might be sick."

"Sick?" Lucy said with concern.

The covers were snatched away, exposing a quivering Juvia to the cold air of her bedroom. Gray loomed over her, holding the bed dress in his hand. He blinked in surprise when he saw her huddled form, wondering what on earth she was hiding from. "What the fuck?" he said.

Juvia groaned, dropping her head in her hands. "Gray-sama, please leave Juvia alone! Juvia is not well!"

"We can see that," Natsu snorted.

Erza punched his arm to silence his snide remark.

"I didn't mean it like she was ugly or anything!" Natsu cried, shielding the spot with his hand defensively.

Lucy hit his other arm.

"Ow! Stop hitting me!"

Juvia sniffed, ignoring them as best she could. "Just leave Juvia be, Gray-sama. You don't deserve to see her in such a state."

"Don't be silly, Juvia," Lucy said. "We'd be happy to help you if - "

"No, no, no," Erza interrupted, grabbing Lucy's arm in one hand and Natsu's ear in the other and dragging them out the door. "You two are much too noisy. We'll leave Gray to tend to Juvia."

Gray gawked after the Titania. "Wait one second - "

Erza shoved Natsu and Lucy out the door, grabbing Happy's tail as an afterthought and adding him to the bunch. With a quick farewell, she forcefully pushed the irritated trio down the concrete walk that cut Juvia's yard in half, ordering Natsu to prop the destroyed door against the wall as she did so. The Salamander complied with a sour attitude, shutting out the outside wind with the unstable barrier as well as giving the ice mage and the water mage some privacy.

Leaving Juvia and Gray alone.

"Wh-what...what just happened...?" Gray muttered.

Juvia sniffled once more, closing her eyes against the pounding in her head. "You can go, Gray-sama. You don't have to stay with Juvia if you don't want to."

Gray scowled. "Well, of course I'm gonna stay! You're sick!"

"Juvia is not sick!" Juvia insisted shrilly, scrambling out of bed to look him straight in the eye. "Juvia has never gotten sick, and Juvia will never get sick! Juvia. Is. Not. Sick!"

"O-okay..." Gray stuttered, shocked by the affect his words had on her, though they were obviously fact. He looked at her angry face, sighing in exasperation. Not even his stubborn self would be able to argue _that_ expression away. "You may not be sick, but you obviously need somebody to take care of you so - "

"Gray-sama's going to take care of Juvia?" the water mage said, clasping her hands together and staring dreamily into a land beyond. Gray sighed and pushed her shoulder carefully, even that gentle motion causing her to flop back down on the mattress like a limp doll.

"You lay here, I'll get you something to bring down your fever," he said, walking out of her room. Juvia stared up at the ceiling, still starry-eyed. Gray was nursing her! He was helping her get better from...from whatever this was! That must mean he cared for her, right? _Maybe.._. Juvia's eyes widened with her epiphany. _Maybe Gray-sama is secretly in love with Juvia!_

Juvia sighed with desire, throwing her arm over her head in a tragic fashion. Alas, Gray was like Juvia; too shy to declare his deep, heated longing for her. Their love would never be, not unless they mastered their crippling bashfulness.

Gray came back in, carrying a damp cloth. He sighed when he realized that she was once again docked in what he'd dubbed "Juvia-land"; the land where her out-of-this-world-and-never-ever-going-to-happen fantasies took place. It seemed that Juvia hardly even noticed she was sick, for she hadn't even covered herself with the blanket. _If she keeps this up, it's only gonna get worse_... Gray thought, shaking his head.

"Juvia," he said, draping the cloth across his arm and grasping the blanket in his hand, pulling it up with a sharp motion and letting it drift back over her baffled form. "If you don't keep the blanket over you, then you'll only get worse. Here's a wet cloth to bring down your fever. I'm making you soup and some tea, too. You'll also probably want to get a shower when you're able to walk. Getting clean will really help you feel better, and it'll warm you up."

Juvia gaped as he laid the cloth across her forehead. "How does Gray-sama know so much about this?"

"When I studied with Ur, me and Leon used to get sick a lot from taking our clothes off in such cold weather," Gray explained, smoothing the blanket across the bed. "We'd have to take care of each other when we did."

"But Juvia's not sick."

Gray sighed. "Juvia, face it; you're sick."

Her eyes flashed. "Juvia is _not_ sick!"

"You have a fever, your head hurts really bad, you're experiencing vertigo, and if you ate something heavy, it would probably come right back up," Gray said, listing these symptoms on his fingers. "Am I right?"

"Yes..." Juvia squeaked.

"These are all symptoms of the flu. Juvia," Gray persisted intensely, grabbing her shoulders and trying to relay the message as best he could. "You. Have. The. Flu. There's no mistaking it."

Juvia trembled under his hands, in a state of extreme bliss. Her eyes were spinning from Gray speaking to her with such determination, not to mention the fact that he'd actually _touched_ her. "Y-yes..."

"I'm glad you finally understand," Gray, who was too satisfied about being proved right to notice her reaction, proclaimed. He let go of Juvia and stood up. "I'm gonna go check on the soup and the tea."

"Yes," Juvia repeated, for this was the only thing she seemed capable of uttering. When Gray left, closing the door behind him, Juvia smiled and touched the rag he'd so thoughtfully provided. Perhaps being ill had it's benefits after all.

_/T.T\_

As Gray stirred the broth in a big pot, he looked about Juvia's house. It took longer than they'd thought to find it, because Juvia hadn't moved to Fairy Hills even after Phantom was abolished. She lived in a small, cozy house, just off the outskirts of Magnolia. It must've taken her forever to walk from her house to the guild, but Gray didn't blame her. The house had a fantastic view of the glittering lake on the edge of the city, it's waters expanding for miles before disappearing on the horizon. It sparkled like a thousand diamonds in the afternoon sun.

Even without the incredible view, the house itself was a nice one. The kitchen was well equipped with good appliances and nice cabinets, and there was an attached nook that overlooked the lake. Juvia had a small dining table there, set for two. There was a tiny den, with an elegant leather sofa and two simple wooden chairs and a decently stocked bookshelf. The whole house had an official, nondescript air to it, from the lack of clutter to the ranging hues of blue that adorned everything. There were a few things that personalized the home; Juvia's umbrella leaning against the bookshelf, the jumble of yellow tulips that were stuffed into a vase on the table, her hats neatly placed on the hook by the door (which was, of course, demolished by Natsu...Gray would have to fix that later). But these were the only things implying that anyone lived here at all. Even Juvia's room was in a similar state, spotless except for the tangle of blankets in which she lay.

He ladled some soup (Ur's special concoction) and poured some tea (another one of Ur's home remedies) and brought them into her room on a tray. With this, she'd be feeling better by tomorrow. If she kept herself covered, that is.

But when he walked into her room, he discovered that she was knocked out cold. For what felt like the hundredth time that day, Gray sighed with exasperation. Setting the food on her bedside table, he replaced the rag with a new one and tucked her more firmly into the covers. She didn't stir, her face perfectly still and snoozing away. There was a dab of drool creeping from the side of her slack mouth. Gray smiled, despite himself.

He irrationally leapt backwards, holding his hands out in front of him. What was he doing? Tucking her into - no, there was no need for that! Juvia didn't need coddling. She just needed him there to get better. If he kept this up, she would stalk him with even _more_ enthusiasm.

He heard fabric drop on the floor, and looked down, puzzled, to see that he had shed his shirt. Dammit! Not again!

He picked it up off the ground, shrugged, and threw it over his shoulder. No use putting it back on now, when it would just come off again later. Gray slapped his forehead when he thought of how perverted that sounded in his mind. Not that Juvia would care, of course. She'd probably swoon and drift off to Juvia-land again.

He left the tray in her room and wandered to the kitchen. He should probably fix that door...but where would Juvia keep tools? Honestly, Gray couldn't see Juvia keeping tools anywhere so, to save himself from what was sure to be hours of meaningless searching, he just used ice-make to create some. He was confident that they wouldn't melt in his hands, and he was pretty certain that they were strong enough to withstand whatever labor he might put them through.

Within the hour he had repaired the door. Luckily for Juvia, Natsu hadn't damaged the door or the frame too horridly. They were a quick fix in Gray's capable hands. Though, he had to admit, Natsu probably shouldn't have knocked down the door in the first place. What would they have done if Juvia hadn't been home? What would Juvia have done when she came home and discovered that someone had vandalized her house? With the thought of her absurd reaction in mind, Gray chuckled. It would have been very entertaining.

"Gray-sama?" she called hoarsely from the other room. He poked his head in, looking at her forlorn, limp form in the dark. Although she'd just had a good nap, she seemed worse than what she was before. Gray peered inquisitively at the cold soup and tea to find that they'd been consumed, quite ravenously by the condition of the silverware.

"Did you eat that cold?" he asked, gesturing to the mess of sloppy dishes.

"Yes, Juvia gulped it down," she crooned, clutching her stomach.

Gray oggled at her. "You weren't supposed to eat it all at once! You're supposed to eat it slowly, so you don't get a stomach ache! And I would have brought you a new bowl if you'd asked me to."

"Juvia is very sorry," she sniffed.

"S'okay," Gray snarled, trying to get his infamously quick temper under control. There was no reason to stand here yelling at a sick person, even if they had just done something so idiotic. He grabbed the dishes and her rag. "Just make sure you make it to the bathroom if you're gonna get sick, 'cause I really don't wanna clean up puke. I'll get you a new rag and some more tea."

"Thank you very much, Gray-sama," she said, looking up at him with bright eyes. "You don't know how much Juvia appreciates this."

"Yeah, whatever," he growled, stalking away.

"Oh, and Gray-sama?"

"Huh?"

"You forgot your pants again."

"DAMMIT!"

_/T.T\_

Juvia watched from her window as Magnolia Lake was dyed different colors by the sky; first a sea green, then sapphire blue, a lovely shade of periwinkle, a cold stone gray, and finally an inky black. Throughout this period of metamorphosis, Gray stayed by Juvia's side as her condition steadily progressed. As he'd predicted, Juvia had vomited soon after consuming the cold soup and tea so hastily. Luckily she did make it to the toilet, but she was in such a state of melancholy afterward that it didn't matter if she just had the flu - she could have had the plague itself and it would have made no difference to her. Juvia absolutely hated being sick.

The only thing that made any of this worthwhile was Gray. Once he realized that she was so miserable (that, and the fact that he'd run out of other options to satisfy his growing boredom), he stayed and talked to her as she sipped her tea. Gray had a lot of interesting things to say, in Juvia's opinion. She stared at him like a child, transfixed by his many thrilling adventures.

Gray asked Juvia questions too, but she was certain that every time she opened her mouth she bored him to death. The first question he asked was why she talked in third person. "It's just the way Juvia was raised," she answered, adding a frantic, "Does Gray-sama not like it?" at the end.

He laughed, shaking his head. "No, Juvia, I don't care if you talk in third person. I was just curious."

"Gray-sama is c-curious...about Juvia?" she whispered in awe.

Gray shrugged. "Sure."

Juvia smiled with such happiness that Gray jumped back in surprise. Why did she smile at him like that, as if he'd just made her day with that one simple phrase? Nothing Gray had to say was _that _important, he was sure of it. But Juvia seemed to think so, and she was ecstatic that Gray wanted to know more about her. She proceeded by telling him her life story between sips of tea.

Amidst one of these recounts, Juvia's sentences began to lag and her head bobbed up and down with fatigue. She would stop, her head would sink, then it would snap back up and she would continue where she had left off in the story. At first it was astoundingly amusing, but as the intervals of silence in the middle of stories grew longer it became annoying. Gray told Juvia to go to sleep.

"But Juvia isn't tired," she objected, contradictorily yawning as she did so.

Gray didn't even bother answering; he just gave her a look. She slumped and wrinkled her nose in distaste, pulling out her last weapon of resistance. "B-but...Juvia doesn't want to go to sleep..."

"Why?" Gray implored.

"Because..." Juvia's blush became deeper, indicating that it wasn't solely from her fever. "If Juvia sleeps, then Gray-sama will leave. She doesn't want Gray-sama to leave."

Gray blinked in surprise. He _had _actually been planning to leave after she fell asleep. It was already close to eight o'clock in the evening and it would be hard enough to walk all the way home in the dark as it was. Besides that, he was hungry and the soup he made wouldn't sooth his raging appetite. Despite the fact that she was the one inconveniencing him, guilt cut through him at her hesitant complaint. He was also flattered that she wanted him here so badly, but that was another matter entirely.

Gray knew that he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he left a sick person alone when they specifically asked for his help, so he surrendered with a sigh and declared that he'd stay even if she went to sleep.

"Really? Oh, Gray-sama, you've made Juvia so happy!" There was that damn smile again, so unfathomably joyous that Gray wished he could snatch some of the bliss away and keep it for himself. With as happy as Gray was making her, Juvia certainly had enough to spare. But...well, it did give him a little satisfaction to know that he made _someone_ happy.

Suddenly, the smile slid from Juvia's face and she was launched into a fresh episode of despair. Gray recoiled, wondering how the hell she could switch emotions so quickly. "What the hell? What's wrong now?"

"Juvia is a burden on Gray-sama," she moaned, flopping down on her pillow dramatically. "He obviously wants to go home and eat and sleep, but Juvia is just too selfish and she won't let him go without feeling guilty about leaving a sick person alone. Juvia is such an awful person!"

"It's really not that big of a deal," Gray insisted.

"Yes it is! Gray-sama, Juvia takes back what she said. You can go home if you really want to. Don't feel guilty about leaving her here," Juvia sobbed, her bottom lip trembling.

Gray scowled. He honestly hadn't minded staying for a little longer, but her ceaseless criticizing of herself was really starting to wear on his nerves. "Juvia, I don't mind staying for a little while longer. In fact, I _want_ to stay. But if you're gonna keep talking about yourself like that, then I will leave. It's really annoying."

Juvia's eyes filled with tears at his harsh words. "What? Gray-sama thinks Juvia's annoying?"

"When you put yourself down like that, yes I do. You need to think better of yourself, and you don't need to check with me and make sure every little thing you do is something I like. Just be yourself, and I'd probably like you a lot more," Gray said. He hadn't really thought about the words that were coming from his mouth, nor the effect they would have on Juvia.

"So if Juvia stops putting herself down then Gray-sama would like her more?" Juvia cried, bolting up. She wobbled when nausea crashed down on her, Gray grabbing her arms to steady in order to keep her from tumbling off the bed. He gently laid her back down as she blinked the vertigo away. When she was finally focused, his face was close to hers and his hands were still on her shoulders. He was looking at her intently, making sure that the sudden motion hadn't worsened her condition. "You okay?" he said, his cool breath sweeping her hair out of her face. Juvia nodded, because that was the only thing she could do. She felt weak, like she was getting ready to faint. It took all her will-power to keep her eyes from spinning.

Despite the fact that she'd silently answered his question, he was still looking down at her intently. Instead of removing himself from her person, he minutely leaned in a centimeter closer. _This is it! _Juvia thought, exhilarated. _Gray-sama is going to kiss Juvia!_ She could feel it in every fiber of her being, the bubble of tension that could only be popped by a kiss. She felt absolute delight rush though her at the thought. All her dreams, finally coming true!

As he leaned in ever closer, the joy was quickly replaced by horror. Oh, _no_! Gray was going to kiss her!

Before his lips could make contact with hers, she clapped her hands over his face and shoved him away with a desperate, "_NO!_" Gray fell backwards onto the bed, his expression the epitome of utter shock. Why? Why had she pushed him away? Isn't this what she wanted? Gray was so confused, and a bit betrayed too. It'd taken a lot of rigorous emotional preparation to get to that point, and now it was over before it even started.

Juvia slowly sat up, her eyes filled with tears. "Juvia is so sorry, Gray-sama."

"Why did you - ? Don't you want me to kiss you?" Gray asked.

"_Yes! _Oh goodness, yes, it's what Juvia has been wishing for months now!" Juvia assured, abashed at the absurd notion. "But Gray-sama cannot kiss Juvia now."

Gray pouted, crossing his arms defiantly. "Why not?"

"Because Juvia is sick!" she sniffed, tears spilling over her cheeks. "If Gray-sama kisses her now, then he will definitely be sick too! And Juvia cannot put Gray-sama's health in jeopardy because of her own selfish desires!"

Gray stared at her a moment, then sighed. She was right; if they kissed, Gray would get sick. Mild disappointment made his stomach sink uncomfortably. Juvia bowed her head until the tips of her swirly blue hair brushed the blanket. "Can Gray-sama ever forgive Juvia?"

"There's nothing to forgive," Gray said. "You're right. Thanks for the warning."

Juvia still did not raise her head. "...Gray-sama?"

"Huh?"

"Will Gray-sama kiss Juvia when she gets better?"

Gray smirked at the top of her head. "Go to sleep, Juvia," he said, standing up and taking three long steps to walk the expanse of the small bedroom. He didn't close the door behind him, though. Juvia saw the soft glow of a lamp illuminate the living room outside. She collapsed back down on her pillow, conflicted. "Go to sleep, Juvia" wasn't exactly reassuring, but Gray hadn't completely rejected her either. Perhaps, one day, the bubble of tension would encompass them again, the kind that can only be popped with a kiss (or a shove, apparently).

There was a loud crash and a smothered oath from outside her door. Juvia smiled, containing a giggle. It didn't matter what happened in the future. All that mattered right now was that Gray was right outside her door.

And he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

* * *

**Juvia and Gray - End**


	3. Lucy and Natsu

_**Summary**: Ever since she was little, Lucy never put forth much effort into celebrating her birthday. When the date quickly arrives, she vaguely recognizes the fact that she's a year older and goes on with her business. When Natsu gets wind of this, he decides to take things into his own, feiry hands. Will he scar the day for Lucy even further, or will Fairy Tail's most anticipated couple finally reach the conclusion that they are imperfectly perfect for each other in every way?_

_Everybody belongs to Mashima Hiro; I'm just borrowing them for a tiny bit._

* * *

**Lucy and Natsu**

**by: Smurfluvscookies**

_Dear Mom,_

_Things are great in Fairy Tail, as usual. Natsu and Gray have been particularly argumentative of late. I wonder why, but I'm too afraid to ask! Erza went on an S-Rank mission by herself, so she's been gone all week (now that I think about it, maybe that has something to do with Gray and Natsu...). She comes back today, though, and I'm really excited! _  
_No news from Dad, but I hear he's doing fine in Acalypha. I've been nervous about him, because it's that time of year again. Today is July 1st - my birthday. I really hope he doesn't make an appearance. I haven't told anyone in Fairy Tail about today being my birthday; I don't want a big celebration or anything like that. Imagine how over-the-top that would be!  
I know that Master Makarov knows what today is, so I won't be going to the guild at all. Just to be on the safe side, you know? My resolve is slowly dissolving though - I'm bored out of my mind! Maybe I'll go take a walk. It's really nice out this morning, but I can already tell it's going to be hot, hot, hot later. After my walk, maybe I should go swimming? That's sounds like fun, don't you think? _

_With Lots of Love - _

Lucy signed her name at the bottom, looking at her loopy writing gloomily. Today she was eighteen years of age, but that fact aroused no excitement in her. If it weren't for the sake of tracking how old she was, Lucy probably wouldn't even bother to remember the date of her birthday. Birthdays didn't hold any pleasant memories, not even the scant few in which her mother was present. All her frugal efforts to celebrate her birthday with her father had been in vain, and eventually she didn't even bother telling him about it anymore. It's not like he cared.

With a sigh, Lucy stood. A walk did sound like a relaxing idea, and it was a good way to relieve her boredom. If she became too idle, then her resolve to stay at home might vanish completely. "Open the Gate of the Canis Minor! Nikora!" she said, holding out Plue's silver key. The small white "dog" popped into sight, staring at Lucy expectantly. "Wanna go for a walk, Plue?" she asked, slipping on her shoe.

Plue nodded vigorously, tapping towards the door. Lucy had to retain a squeal of utter adoration. Plue was so cute! Already, she was feeling better. With the small celestial spirit at her side, Lucy began her leisurely stroll down Strawberry Street.

The morning was magnificently bright and cheerful. The sun was already beating down harshly on the cobblestones, but a gentle breeze picked up cool moisture from waterway off the street. Lucy hopped onto the ledge, waving to the boatmen who usually scolded her for doing something so dangerous. The water cast a distorted reflection of herself and Plue amongst it's rippling tide. She glanced at it curiously, staring into the brown eyes of her reflection. Eighteen years old...she didn't feel any different. She never did.

"Lucy!"

The celestial mage in question nearly tumbled into the water. She actually _would _have if someone hadn't grabbed her by the waist before she lost her balance. In the same instant, she was swept off the ledge and into someone's arms. Baffled, she squinted away the rays of sunlight that hid her rescuer's face in shadow. It was a familiar one. "Eh?" she exclaimed, exchanging a glance with Plue. "Loke?"

Loke (otherwise known as Leo, the Lion) set her down on the street with a stern expression on his face. Lucy blinked up at him, perplexed. She hadn't summoned Loke; in fact, she was incapable of summoning Loke with Plue already by her side. "Loke?" she repeated. "What are you doing here?"

"What are _you_ doing?" he retorted, gesturing to the ledge.

"I always walk that way. I was just enjoying the morning air," Lucy explained.

"Hmph," Loke tsked, crossing his arms. "You could stand to be a little more careful when 'enjoying the morning air.' "

Lucy wrinkled her nose. "I wouldn't have almost fallen if you hadn't startled me. And you didn't answer my question."

"I forced open my Gate to simply tell you - " Loke paused there, revealing a bouquet of exquisite red roses from behind his back, " - happy eighteenth birthday."

Lucy started, surprised. "Wha - how do you know today's my birthday?"

"All your spirits know," Loke said, tapping the side of his head. "It's programed into our brains."

"You didn't tell anybody from the guild, did you?" Lucy gasped, her eyes widening in terror.

Loke quirked an eyebrow. "No...I figured they already knew."

"They don't, and I'd really appreciate it if you didn't tell them," Lucy pleaded.

"May I ask why?"

"I just...don't really celebrate my birthday. It was never a big deal at my house, so it's not a big deal to me," Lucy explained uncomfortably. She gratefully took the beautiful roses from Loke's hands. "Thank you for the flowers though. They're gorgeous."

Loke gave her a debonair smile, plucking a rose from the arrangement and sniffing it tenderly. "A thousand of the most magnificent roses couldn't match your stunning perfection."

Lucy grabbed Loke's key, forcing the closure of his gate. "Bye, Loke."

"Farewell, my lovely Lucy! Until I see you again!" Loke blew her a kiss, and was gone. Lucy shook her head and exchanged another look with Plue. After a moment of consideration, Plue pressed his white paw to his mouth and blew Lucy a tiny kiss. Unable to contain her squeal, Lucy scooped Plue up in her arms and smothered him in a hug. "You're so cute!"

She let him go, watching his eyes spin from lack of oxygen. Shifting the roses in her arms (they were rather bulky and superfluous) she stepped onto the ledge again, resuming her leisurely stroll through Magnolia.

_/T.T\_

"Are you sure we should be bothering her, Natsu?" Happy asked as he and his Dragonslayer casually walked into Lucy's apartment without even knocking. Normally this wouldn't faze Happy in the slightest, but yesterday Lucy specifically requested that they don't come to her house. She'd seemed rather depressed.

"Stop worrying about it, Happy," Natsu said, waving a dismissal hand. "When she said she didn't wanna see anybody, she wasn't talking about _us_. Besides, don't you wanna make sure she's okay?"

"No, she was talking _to_ us," Happy corrected. "And I do, but - "

"Then stop nagging." Natsu called Lucy's name and cupped a hand around his ear for a response. He pouted and flopped down on the couch, resting his feet on the table. "She's not even here! Why did she tell us not to come if she's not even here?"

"Perhaps that's why she told us not to come," Happy pointed out.

Natsu shook his head. "Sounds suspicious. I'm gonna wait for her here."

"If you're so worried about her, why don't you track her down?" Happy said, tapping his nose to signify that Natsu could make good use of his incredible Dragonslayer sense of smell.

"She'll be back," Natsu said, raiding the refrigerator.

"Yes, you seemed very concerned for Lucy's _safety_." Happy shook his head and perched on Lucy's desk until she got back. He shuffled through papers of every shape and size, until he found one worth reading._ Lucy has such boring mail_, he thought, skimming through the handwritten letter. It seemed to be one of Lucy's journal entries to her mother - it was dated for July 1st, as a matter of fact. His eyes widened as he read. "Natsu..."

"Hmm?" the Salamander came to Happy's side, mouth full of sandwich.

"Read this," Happy ordered, shoving the letter in Natsu's face.

Natsu obliged, his vigorous chewing becoming slower and slower as he read what Lucy had written on the paper. His mouth fell open, the contents falling to the floor. "Lucy's birthday is today!"

"She didn't tell us," Happy nodded, betrayed.

"It says here that she doesn't want anybody to know," Natsu pointed out, fingering the line and squinting as he read the loopy print. He frowned, taking the letter from Happy's hands as he continued reading. "I wonder why..."

"She has a bad relationship with her father. Perhaps...?"

"Perhaps," Natsu nodded, there not being any need for Happy to complete his sentence. They were both on the same train of thought: that the problems between Lucy and Mr. Heartfilia had encouraged negative memories in relation to her birthday. It was rather sad, one not being able to enjoy their own birthday. However, there was nothing they could do about it.

Natsu's face split into a grin. Or maybe...

"Natsu!" Happy warned, pricking an ear. "Lucy's coming!"

Natsu quickly arranged the desk as it had been and resumed eating his sandwich. The lock clicked as Lucy walked in, freezing in the doorway when she saw her two unexpected visitors. The shocked expression she wore quickly changed into her customary scowl. "Natsu! Happy! Didn't I speficially tell you not to come bother me today?"

"We were worried about you," Happy objected innocently.

"Yeah, you look a mess," Lucy said sarcastically, readjusting the bundle of roses she held in her arms. Natsu frowned, gesturing to the ordinate (and expensive-looking) bouquet. "What's that?" he asked.

Lucy glanced down at the flowers as if just noticing them. "Oh, um...nothing."

"Where'd you get them?"

Lucy glared. "None of your business. Now, get out of my house!"

"Lucy's got a boyfriend! Lucy's got a boyfriend!" Happy chanted, gliding over her head to search for a card. When he saw it, he plucked it from the plastic holder inside the confines of the bouquet and read it despite Lucy's protests. "Hey! It's from Loke!"

"Loke?" Natsu repeated.

"Yeah!" Happy turned to Lucy. "I always said you guys were a perfect match. How long've you been goin' out? Wait, is it even legal for celestial spirits and their masters to date?"

Lucy snatched the card from the blue Exceed, boiling with rage. "Yes, it is legal! But Loke and I aren't dating!"

"Then what are the flowers for?" Natsu asked.

"None of your business!" Lucy roared, at her limit. Her face turned a dangerous shade of scarlet as she screamed. "It's none of your business who from or why I get flowers! Get the hell out of my house right now! Don't make me say it again!"

Natsu and Happy were silent, watching the blonde celestial mage tremble where she stood. Outbursts like this from Lucy weren't common, and it shocked them both that they'd done something to anger her so. Natsu frowned. He seemed to be frowning a lot that day. "Lucy..."

"_Get out!_" she shrieked, pointing at the open door and glowering at the floor. Natsu grimaced and stood, gesturing for an awkward Happy to follow him. The Salamander gritted his teeth as he passed her, resisting the urge to snap at her. He didn't like her speaking to him that way. It made him sad and angry at the same time. And what was with the Loke thing? He was allowed to get her expensive presents for her birthday, but Natsu wasn't even allowed to know when it was? Natsu scowled as he stormed down the hallway, twitching when the door to Lucy's apartment slammed shut.

"Natsu, she just..." Happy began, but he couldn't find the words to finish the sentence. They walked down the hallway in silence, the only noise occurring when Natsu punched the button for the elevator. Happy winced, watching the button as it considered whether it wanted to continue working after that harsh blow. It decided that it did, and the elevator doors dinged open.

A distracted man stood at the doors, holding what seemed to be a large bouquet of daisies. He saw Natsu and, not noticing the coils of rage that circled him, inquired hopefully while glancing at his clipboard, "Do you know a...Ms. Lucy Heartfilia?"

"Are those flowers for her birthday?" Natsu asked.

"Why, yes, they are! You must know her then. Can you tell me her apartment number?" the man continued, maintaining his look of hope.

Natsu took the flowers and threw them to the ground, stomping on them repeatedly and ending with a final hop. The delivery man gaped at the mush of ruined petals and stems. "Dude! What the hell?"

Natsu pushed the man out of the way and stomped onto the elevator, once again punching the button. "She wouldn't have wanted them anyway," he growled as the elevator doors closed.

The poor delivery man stared at the broken arrangement and sighed. "Mr. Heartfilia's gonna be pissed..."

_/T.T\_

"Natsu, I really think you should calm down before you do anything rash," Happy cautioned, having to fly in order to keep up with Natsu's outragous pace. He was enraged, and heading right for Fairy Tail.

"Calm down? Hell no!"

Happy sighed as they entered the gates of the guild. "Can you at least tell me what you're planning?"

"Lucy is gonna enjoy her eighteenth birthday, whether she wants to or not!" Natsu declared, bursting into the dining hall where most of the Fairy Tail gang were cheering and drinking. He stopped in the doorway and surveyed the area, hands on his hips. Finally, he took a deep breath and yelled at the top of his lungs, "HEY EVERYBODY! TODAY IS LUCY'S BIRTHDAY!"

All conversation in the guild stopped.

"What?" Levy cried suddenly, her hands flying to her face in horror. "Today's Lu-chan's birthday?"

"Impossible," Erza dismissed, shaking her head. "She would certianly have told us."

Natsu pointed a finger across the room at Master Makarov. "Just ask him! He knows!"

"Shit..." Makarov said under his breath.

"Is it true? Is today Lucy's birthday?" Mirajane asked.

"Yeah, it's true," Master Makarov said gruffly.

"Why didn't she tell us?" Gray shouted.

"Obviously because she knew you'd all blow it out of proportion," Gajeel muttered, crossing his arms defiantly.

"That would explain why she didn't come to the guild today," Cana said, resting her chin on her hand drowsily. "I was kinda wondering about that, since she's here practically every day."

"I don't think you have any room to talk," Macao remarked, peering into her (empty) barrel of alcohol.

"We should do something for Lu-chan," Levy suggested, clapping her hands together.

"Juvia agrees!" Juvia chirped.

"We could throw her a surprise party right here in the guild!" Lisanna offered, grinning.

"Yeah! Surprise parties are manly!" Elfman consented.

Makarov shrugged. "Fine by me."

Mirajane smiled. "Great! Natsu, you go convince her to come back here and we'll get everthing ready."

"Don't you think she'll be somewhat suspicious? I mean, we _just_ came back from her house," Happy said.

Levy's hand shot up in the air. "Gajeel and I can go - "

"No, no, no, Happy and I will go," Natsu interrupted, grabbing Happy by the tail and dragging him from the guild. Levy shrugged and sat back down, listening to what Mirajane had planned for the hasty preparations. "Don't be afraid to take your time, Natsu!" the barmaid called after him, giving the plans (which she'd already managed to write down) an exasperated look.

"Will do!" Natsu called back, bursting from the dining hall just as exuberantly as he'd arrived. Happy frowned, snatching his captive tail from the Salamander's hand. They walked in the general direction of Strawberry Street for a while, then Natsu suddenly changed his coarse.

"What're you doing?" Happy asked.

"Killin' time," Natsu answered, heading in the direction of Magnolia's bazaar. He looked back, grinning at Happy. "Besides, we gotta get Lucy a birthday present, don't we?"

_/T.T\_

Lucy sighed after she slammed the door, rubbing her temples. Now that Natsu and Happy were gone, she felt remorse weigh her stomach down. No matter how grouchy she was, she really didn't have any right to scream at them like that. _I'll apologize tomorrow_, she decided as she plopped down on the couch. She looked at the drooping bundle of roses in her hand and laid them on the table. She'd find a nice vase for them later...if she could find one big enough. Loke had really gone above and beyond with her gift.

_It's nice that he got me something... _she thought as her eyes drifted shut. _It really has been a long morning...maybe what I really need is a nap.._.

The next thing she knew, the blinding afternoon sun was shining in her face through the slits in the blinds. She sat up on her elbows, squinting away the remnants of the light from the back of her eyelids. How long had she been asleep?

A rapid knock interrupted her thoughts and caused her to jump. She slowly rolled off the couch and crawled towards the door. Who was visiting her _now_?

When her hand was inches away from the knob, the door erupted open and slapped her right in the face. _Yeah, now I have a pretty good idea who it is_, she thought as her entire skull throbbed.

"LUUUUCY!" Natsu called.

"I'm down here," she muttered, pushing the door out of the way. Natsu and Happy simultaneously cocked their heads, staring at her inquisitively. "Lucy, why are you on the floor?" Happy asked.

"Because I am," Lucy replied, holding out her hands. "Now, help me up."

Natsu grabbed her wrist and flung her over his shoulder, walking straight out of the apartment soon thereafter. Lucy gaped at the open door of her receding house (which Happy so thoughtfully closed) for a moment, then began with her string of objections. "Natsu! What are you doing?"

"You'll see," he said.

"That's not a good answer! Where are you taking me?"

"You. Will. See."

"Happy!" Lucy cried desperately, searching the Exceed's face for any sign of mercy.

The cat in question shrugged. "You'll see."

"Arrgh!" Lucy exclaimed in exasperation, quite reluctantly letting the Salamander carry her down the flights of stairs. She glared at the back of his spikey pink head all the while, ignoring the strange looks they were receiving from the rest of the town. Only when she looked about did she realize where they were going. "Natsu! Natsu, I don't wanna go to the guild!"

"Too bad!" Natsu said, readjusting her on his shoulder. "You need to be cheered up."

"You're taking me to Fairy Tail to cheer me up?" Lucy asked, surprised and touched.

"Well, duh. You _yelled _at me," Natsu retorted with a snort.

"Sorry," Lucy mumbled.

"S'okay."

"I'm pretty sure this falls into the category of kidnapping, though," Lucy pointed out. Natsu thought about this, then shrugged as best he could with Lucy thrown over his shoulder. "I've destroyed whole entire cities. If I haven't been arrested yet, I don't think I've got much to worry about."

"Destroying cities...not exactly something to brag about..."

When Natsu finally burst through the gates of Fairy Tail, he set Lucy down. He dragged her to the dining hall and stood back as she opened the door.

"SURPRISE!"

Lucy froze in the doorway, absorbing the celebratory decorations in the dining hall. There were banners and streamers of every color and size on the wall, confetti littered the floor, balloons drifted along the ceiling and were weighted to tables. There was a particularly large banner draped over the stage that read: _Happy 18th Birthday, Lucy_.

"Y-you guys...did all this...for me?" she sniffed, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Of course," Erza said, rolling her eyes.

"We would've done a better job, but we didn't find out 'til a couple hours ago..." Gray added, giving Lucy a pointed look.

"Did _you _tell them?" Lucy accused Master Makarov.

"Nope." Makarov pointed to Natsu. "He spilled the beans."

"What? How did you find out?" Lucy exclaimed, wheeling around.

"Uh...well, we got kinda bored while we were waiting for you at your house...so Happy read your mail..." Natsu said, rubbing the back of his neck. Happy looked down with shame, adding an "Aye" to the Salamander's honest accusation. Before Lucy could scold them, however, Mirajane came to the rescue.

"But it was Natsu's idea to have a surprise party," she said. "So I think that's pretty redeeming."

Gajeel glanced at Levy. "But weren't you the one who - "

Levy elbowed him in the stomach, signifying that he should just shut up and leave it alone.

"Thank you," Lucy said to Natsu, looking at the floor. "And you did all this even after I yelled at you..."

"We also got you a gift," Happy interjected, nodding at Natsu. The Fire Dragonslayer grinned and dug around in his pocket until he found what he was looking for. He revealed a jewelry box and handed it to Lucy.

Inside was a silver charm bracelet with three charms. The first one was the Fairy Tail insignia; the second was a bejeweled blue fish; and the third was a heart. Natsu wrinkled his nose at it. "I woulda made more charms, but I didn't have time and that was all they had at the shop."

Lucy grinned. "I love it! Here, help me put it on."

Natsu did so. Lucy observed and, much to her surprise, she was blushing. The brush of his warm fingers on her wrist seemed somehow more intimate than usual, though she couldn't explain why. It was strange, but not at all unpleasant.

The moment was over much too soon, and before long Erza was demanding that Lucy come blow out the candles on her cake so that everyone might have a piece. The cake was a towering, misshapen thing, tier after tier whimsically stacked on top of each other until it looked as if it might collapse. Due to it's enormous height, Lucy had to stand on a chair to blow out her candle. Mirajane lit the candles as everyone sang "Happy Birthday" along with the chords of Gajeel's guitar. Lucy inhaled, thought of what she wanted to wish for, then blew out her candles in an exuberant gush of breath. Everyone clapped and Erza practically pounced on the cake.

"What did you wish for?" Gray asked as soon as Lucy stepped down.

"Can't say," she replied, receiving her giant slice of cake from Lisanna.

"C'mon, I won't tell anybody," Gray whined.

"If I tell you, then it won't come true."

"Does it have anything to do with me?"

Lucy quirked an eyebrow. "Why would it have anything to do with you?"

"What about...Erza?"

"Nope."

"Levy?"

"Nuh-uh."

"Let's see...Natsu?" Gray inquired. He noted how Lucy stayed silent and was suddenly very interested in her cake. "Ah-ha! So it _does _have something to do with Natsu! I knew it!"

"Yes, I wished that he would stop barging into my house," Lucy retorted sarcastically.

"No, if that were the case then Erza and I would also be included," Gray pointed out, impervious to her pricking sarcasm. He was silent and thoughtful for a moment. "I'm burning with curiosity now. Tell me!"

Juvia, who had just happened to pass by, boiled with rage. Much to Lucy's relief, she swooped down and grabbed Gray's arm, dragging him away from her oblivious blonde rival. Lucy let out a sigh. Gray already knew too much about her wish for comfort, and she wanted to it come true, so she couldn't deny it if he guessed right. She picked at her cake, a slow blush rising to her cheeks. It really was a stupid thing to wish for.

"LUUUCY!" Natsu flopped beside her, hiding something behind his back. He thrust in her face a bunch of white daisies, looking as if they had just been savagely plucked from a field. Lucy took them, blinking in confusion. "These aren't from me," Natsu assured. "See, I kind of ruined the bouquet of daises your dad sent to you so...these are from him, technically."

"Um...thanks?" Lucy said, looking at the smashed flowers in her hand. She tried to arrange them in a way that was more attractive, but only to discover a spider crawling amidst their stems. With a scream, she threw them on the floor and attempted to shake the spider off of her. Natsu spotted the small black dot drifting across the floor as she did so.

"I GOT IT!" he roared, leaping from his seat and stomping on the spider and, therefore, the daisies. He even went as far as to scorch the floor, but Juvia quickly put out the fire before it grew too large. Natsu beamed at the spot. "See, I got it."

"You _demolished _it," Lucy corrected, shaking her head with a nervous laugh. Natsu plopped down beside her again, too close for her to be comfortable. She shrank, turning away to hide her faint flush.

Natsu, being his oblivious self, did not notice Lucy's rigid posture; the ever-vigilant Mirajane did, however. She smiled wickedly, quickly forming a plan inside that pretty scheming head of hers, and grabbed Levy's attention. The blue-haired bookworm paused in the task of convincing Gajeel to wear a party hat and listened to the barmaid's plot, smiling brilliantly when she was done.

"So what did you wish for?" Natsu asked as the lights dimmed in preparation for one of Mirajane's famous songs.

"Oh...you know..." Lucy said, waving a dismissal hand as Mirajane walked onstage. She cleared her throat in the microphone and said, "Everyone, this is a song dedicated to Lucy! Happy birthday, Lucy!"

The celestial mage blushed as everyone clapped for her.

"In respect for Lucy, I want everyone to stand up," Mirajane suggested, beginning her song. The guild members shared confused glances, wondering how on earth standing up was showing respect to Lucy, but decided not to question Mira's logic. Lucy stood too, feeling awkward being the only one seated.

Mirajane strummed a song, a humorous limerick in which Lucy was the target. There was nothing offensive, of course, and Lucy laughed along with the others. She saw that some of the drunker members were even starting to dance.

It all happened too fast for Lucy to process. All she saw was Levy accidentally bump into her, and she saw Gajeel recklessly shove Natsu out of the way. Lucy collided with Natsu and realized, too late, what was going to happen. Lucy lost her balance and Natsu reflexively caught her around the waist, as Loke had done earlier that morning. To keep herself from falling, Lucy had instinctively wrapped her arms around Natsu's neck and pulled herself up. But the sudden shift of weight had brought Natsu's head forward.

Their lips didn't touch, but their faces were less than an inch apart and they were both too baffled to immediately retreat like they might have normally done. Before Natsu could let go of her, Lucy remembered her wish. She decided that this was just too coincidental not to be fate. This was destiny telling her to fulfill her wish on her own.

Lucy used her arms around Natsu's neck to pull herself up, and she kissed him. She could feel Natsu's shock at such an action, but he didn't pull her way. It was a huge relief, rejection being the thing Lucy was most worried about, and she let herself fall deeper into the kiss. She felt Natu's arms tighten around her waist as a response. Distantly she heard someone whistle, but she really didn't care. Her wish was coming true at this very moment, and she wanted to relish it for all that it was. Whatever it was.

Someone ran into Natsu, breaking it all apart. The couple blinked at each other, both very surprised at what they had found during that infinite amount of time, and they grinned.

"Ha!" Cana shouted, sticking out her hand. "Everyone in the 'Natsu and Lucy' poll owes me a hundred jewels!"

Most everyone groaned, digging around for their purses. Natsu boomed with laughter, helping a crimson Lucy stand up. Mirajane giggled with pleasure at the thought of her devious plan succeeding. "Happy Birthday, Lucy!" she said again over the microphone, beginning the tune for the birthday song. Everyone joined in at various pitches and volumes, Natsu perhaps singing the loudest and most off-key. He kept one swaying arm around Lucy's shoulders the entire time, forcing her to cover her ears at his horrendous singing. But she still laughed.

It was the best birthday she'd ever had.

* * *

**Lucy and Natsu - End**


	4. Charle and Happy

_**Summary**: Every single day, Happy never fails to present Charle with some breed of fish and a testimony of how much he loves her. Charle finds it irritating and unnecessary; she would never consider Happy anything more than a friend, and she doesn't even like seafood. But after one of these declarations of love, Charle receives a sudden vision of her and Happy in a perfectly harmonious relationship. She stubbornly refuses to let the prophesy change her perspective on things, but soon discovers that ignoring the inevitable future is easier said than done. _

_*I would've had this chapter out sooner, but Fanfiction error Type 2 was keeping me from doing so. Now it's up and hopefully it won't happen again. :) _

_I don't own any of our talking, flying feline friends, nor do I own their dear Dragonslayers. Everyone and everything pertaining to the original story belongs to Mashima Hiro. _

* * *

**Charle and Happy**

**By: Smurfluvscookes**

Charle sat next to Wendy on the bar, observing her friend affectionately. Wendy had grown so much during her few months in Fairy Tail - she'd made so many new friends, all of which the blossoming Dragonslayer rightfully deserved. Wendy had been through too much at her young age, more than most adults go through in their lifetime. But these experiences had made Wendy strong, stronger than anyone could see. Perhaps even stronger than Wendy herself even knew.

"Charle," Wendy said with a smile, snapping the Exceed out of her reverie. "Happy's coming this way again."

"Oh, brother," Charle muttered, turning to glare at the idiot cat. He trotted over to her with what seemed to be trout in his paws. He gave her a nervous smile, extending the dead fish towards her. Charle regarded it with disgust, more disgust than she even regarded Happy.

"This is for you, Charle," Happy said.

Charle pushed it away with a sigh. "No, thank you. I'd rather not."

"Oh," Happy looked down at the smelly fish as if he had hoped changing the species might change her answer. Charle raised her eyebrow condescendingly, waiting for his usual rant of adoration.

Much to her surprise, there was none. With a disappointed farewell, Happy turned and trudged away, dragging the fish behind him. Charle blinked in bewilderment, wondering what had caused this shift in behavior. Wendy frowned too. "What's wrong with Happy?" she asked.

"I...I don't know," Charle replied. She snapped herself back into attention when she realized that her tone was dismayed. Crossing her arms, she sniffed and added, "He probably came to his senses, that's all."

Wendy smiled and said nothing more.

Charle stewed, throwing hostile glances at Happy every once in a while. Instead of shrugging her rejection off and putting his "tomorrow is another day" motto in motion, he slumped at a table with Natsu, downing glass after glass of milk. The Salamander seemed to be consoling his blue friend (no pun intended). Charle was absolutely perplexed. She noticed Pantherlily floating about Gajeel, and quickly grabbed his attention.

"Lily," she hissed. "What's wrong with Happy?"

The Exceed looked uncomfortable. "I'd rather not say..."

"Tell me!" Charle snapped.

Pantherlily sighed. "Happy suddenly decided that if you rejected him again today he would stop pursuing you."

"What?" Charle exclaimed, her face blanching.

Pantherlily nodded. "I don't know why. Perhaps you were playing hard-to-get for too long?"

Charle scowled. "I was not playing games. It's about time he realized that he was just being foolish."

"Love is foolish," Pantherlily said prophetically.

"I don't need foolishness, nor love," Charle sniffed, tossing her head. "It serves him right for not listening to me in the first place."

Pantherlily sighed and glanced at the mourning Happy. He opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it and flew across the room to assist Natsu and Lucy in their comforting. Charle glared after him, feeling somewhat betrayed. Nothing had changed, except for the fact that the stupid blue cat had given up! He was a quitter, yet people felt bad for him! She crossed her arms and glowered at the floor murderously. For some reason, she felt that she was the bad guy in this whole thing, which was completely absurd. Never had she wanted to date Happy, and she never would want to date such a creature!

_"Come back!" Charle heard the words and realized that it was her voice, but she'd never heard her mouth form such words in such a broken, agonized tone. Fat tears faintly streamed down her cheeks as she fell to her knees and literally begged for him to come back. She didn't think that he'd live up to his promise, that he would stop loving her. Pantherlily was right - she'd rejected him one too many times, and it was only because she was trying to keep his attention on her. She never imagined that Happy would never speak to her again, that he would seriously leave. Months of living without him had become too much.  
Happy turned around. His face softened, and he slowly walked over to her sobbing form. He kneeled down beside her, resting a paw on her trembling back. "Honestly, did you really ever think I would leave?" he said. Charle glanced up at him, shocked. Happy continued, speaking to her gently. "I thought that you were sick of me. I thought that maybe you just wanted to be left alone. I didn't realize that you - " he stopped and looked down at his paws. "I didn't realize I would hurt you this way. I'm sorry, Charle."  
Charle sniffed and suddenly began to cry harder. Happy was obviously startled with her reaction, but he patted her back. Happy shouldn't have been the one apologizing - this was all her fault. She was as cold and as emotionless as ice, and she didn't deserve him. But if there was one thing that the past six months had taught her, it was that she would never let him go again._

"Charle?" Wendy nudged her Exceed companion. "Charle? You feeling okay?"

"Y-yeah...I'm fine," Charle muttered, blinking away the remnants of her vision. It was rare that they came unbidden - usually she had to force them from her subconscious. Her paw wandered her her cheek, where she could still feel the damp fur her tears had left behind. Had she really been crying? Over Happy?

She pinched herself, effectively snapping herself back into reality. The visions were always so clear and vivid, they replaced the reality before her. Although she was focused on the real world again, she could still feel the turmoil inside her heart. What was that feeling? It was sharp, like a blade, and cold like ice. _She was as cold and as emotionless as ice, and she didn't deserve him_.

Charle blinked multiple times and focused on the dining hall in front of her, watching the flurry of mages drink and laugh and sing. When she had visions, particularly spontaneous ones like this, they kept trying to pop back into her mind.

Happy and his group of comforters suddenly penetrated her peripheral vision, and the clawing pain inside her became nearly unbearable. Months of his future speechlessness and her helpless loneliness erupted inside her head, like a wave of empty nothing. She felt suddenly hollow, dead inside. Drained.

"Charle? Where are you going?" Wendy asked as the white cat hopped off the bar and wobbled out of the dining hall.

"Air. I - I need some fresh air," Charle explained, waving a dismissal paw. She stumbled out of the dining hall, avoiding Happy's table and trying to contain the condensed grief inside.

_/T.T\_

Happy chugged his tenth glass of milk.

"Slow down, man," Pantherlily cautioned, giving the blue cat a chiding look.

"I don't wanna slow down," Happy sniffed, slapping the empty glass on the bar. "I wanna forget."

Lucy leaned over to Natsu, whispering, "How is milk gonna help him forget...?" Natsu shrugged. He'd wondered the same thing himself, but decided not to question it. This was the lowest he'd ever seen Happy, and he hated seeing his nakama in such a state.

From the corner of his eye, Happy saw Charle hop off the bar and walk outside. He peaked over Natsu's shoulder to get a better view of her shrinking form, watching her until she walked right out the door. "Where's she going...?" he asked, more to himself than anyone else.

"I dunno," Pantherlily remarked, oblivious to the fact it was a rhetorical question. "I did tell her, though. Perhaps she's going home to clear her head and think about some things."

Happy perked up when he heard that. "You told her? What did she say? Did she seem disappointed?"

Everyone in attendance (except Happy, of course) gave Pantherlily a stern look. Each of their expressions said the exact same thing:_ lie_. Pantherlily rubbed his paws together, gulping. "S-she...she, uh..." he looked around for an escape and saw Gajeel and Levy. "Oh, look, Gajeel's waving me over! Gotta go!" Happy watched him fly away and smacked his forehead on the bar. Charle was probably relieved that he chose not to pursue her anymore.

"Happy-san," Juvia chirped, cocking her head inquisitively. "Why has Happy-san given up on Charle-san if it puts him through so much pain?"

"I decided to take the hint," Happy groaned. "She kept rejecting me, so I'm giving up."

"But that's wrong!" Juvia said with a sudden passion, knocking the chair over as she stood. She took Gray's hand in hers, attempting to stare meaningfully in his eyes but succeeding only in freaking him out. "Gray-sama rejected Juvia in a multiple of ways - "

" - I wouldn't exactly call it rejecting," Gray input.

Juvia ignored this comment, continuing with her tirade. " - but Juvia never gave up! She prevailed, and now look at her! Juvia and Gray-sama are in a serious, meaningful relationship - "

Gray blanched. "When was that decided?"

" - and are well on their way to holy matrimony!" Juvia ended with flourish, kissing Gray's hand before she let it go. The startled ice mage stared at her in befuddlement for a moment before sprinting away. She leapt over a chair and chased him, shouting, "Gray-sama! Gray-sama, wait! Juvia can go slower! She won't talk about marriage again...at least not for a while! Gray-sama! Gray-sama, your shirt!"

Natsu roared with laughter, Lucy giggling at his side. "That never gets old!" he decreed, wiping a tear from his eye. He threw an arm around Lucy's shoulders, still grinning. "Thankfully Lucy's not _that_ obsessive."

" '_That_?' " Lucy said, quirking an eyebrow.

Happy wasn't focused on them any longer. He looked around him, as if he was seeing everybody for the first time. Gajeel and Levy...Juvia and Gray...even Lucy and Natsu...all of their relationships had taken a lot of time, some rejection, and a slow realization. They didn't just wake up one day and decide that they loved the other, and Charle wasn't going to do that either. It was going to take _time_.

Happy narrowed his eyes with determination and hopped off the bar stool, marching towards the door. His friends glanced at each other and then back at him. "Happy? Where are you going?" Natsu called.

"To find Charle!" he declared, not taking his eyes off the door Charle had exited. Lucy and Natsu shared another glance, this one tainted with worry. "Why?" Lucy asked, her brow puckering with concern.

"To tell her I love her!"

_/T.T\_

She just wanted the visions to stop.

Charle sat outside the back entrance of Fairy Tail, oblivious to everything around her. She collapsed there after the visions suddenly attacked her, wave after wave shutting out reality and replacing it with the future. Never before had her visions been so urgent, never before had her inner peace been assaulted so. She was barely crawling from the depths of one vision before she was sucked into another, trapped until it, too, released her. By then another had formed, and the cycle repeated itself.

All of the visions were of Happy.

_Laughing at the absurdity of it all, of the long detour it had taken her to realize where she really belonged. Beside Happy, Charle was whole. She didn't think that she was incomplete by her lonesome, or with Wendy, but she was. When Happy was gone, it was almost like she could feel the empty space where he had resided. But he came back, and took up that space again. Happy always came back._

Charle heard the sound of a cart passing by the guild. She tried to call out for help, but no sound came. The noise passed without so much as a pause. She truly was -

_Alone. Charle had never felt so alone. "What do you mean he hasn't come back yet?" she asked Makarov. The old man must have been lying to her. Happy said he'd be back in a week, and he'd been gone nearly two. "I _mean_, he hasn't come back yet," Makarov snapped, scowling. "Don't worry about him; he's a mage of Fairy Tail, and we can all take care of ourselves." Charle didn't doubt this - the mages of Fairy Tail were infinitely strong. But seven days of an unknown absence was just too much, even if Happy did have Natsu, Lucy, Gray, and Erza with him. Charle wanted to know the truth, but she had no way of finding it._

"Happy..." Charle croaked, clutching her pounding head. "Wendy...Someone, help..."

_"Wendy, I don't know what I should say." Charle paced back and forth in the Dragonslayer's room, very distraught. Wendy thought about Charle's predicament, resting her small chin on her dimpled hand. "I don't know what you should say either, Charle. I do know that Happy loves you, and if you don't think you're ready and you say no, he'll still stay by your side. Remember how many times he rejected you before you started going out?"  
"But this isn't the same! It's marriage!"  
"He'll wait until you're ready, if you tell him no," Wendy assured, nodding her head. "But just remember how many times you rejected him before. I'm sure that, like before, you'll eventually come to the realization that you want to say yes." _

Reality was becoming visions. Visions were becoming reality.

_"Stop! Ah!" Charle hugged Happy tighter in a very uncharacteristic way. "Slow down!"  
"What's the point of riding a bike if you can't go fast?" Happy challenged, easing on the brakes anyway. Charle gave him a look, one that clearly said she thought he was being an idiot. "What's the point of riding a bike when we can fly?"  
Happy grinned. "Touche." _

"Charle?"

Charle clutched her aching head. Was this a vision? Was this real? She didn't know. Who was calling her name? Only one person. That voice she would know anywhere, the voice she had heard a thousand times over the span of years.

Happy.

His face was there, right there, real, touchable, concrete. And very concerned. "Charle? What's wrong?" he asked, running towards her curled from on the ground. "Why are you out here?"

"Happy..." Charle sobbed. She needed to get this out, the years of love and loss she had felt in the course of an hour. She wasn't going to wait six months without him to crack. She was cracking now. But the words wouldn't come. The only thing she could say was, "I'm sorry."

Then the world was black.

_/T.T\_

Happy carried Charle back into the guild, frantic. She'd been lying in an alley, curled up in a little ball, helpless and terrified. Charle, who breathed confidence like air. Happy didn't know the cause, but he knew that if someone had hurt her they were going to pay dearly for it.

Wendy cried out when she saw Charle's condition and took her from Happy's arms. The alarmed members of Fairy Tail gathered around the table she set her down on. Charle didn't look like she was physically hurt, but Happy remembered the look in her eyes when he found her. It was indescribable.

"What did she say when you found her?" Makarov interrogated, frowning at the female Exceed.

"Nothing," Happy said. "Oh! Wait, she told me she was sorry."

No one said anything.

Wendy performed her magic on Charle, but she didn't wake. She said that Charle was hurt, but it was nothing she could heal with her sky magic. She said that Charle needed rest, and then she took the Exceed back to her place in Fairy Hills.

Before she left, she told Happy he could visit the first thing tomorrow morning.

For once, the entire guild was silent as they watched the tiny Dragonslayer and her cat disappear. Lucy was the first person to speak. "I wonder what happened...?" she whispered, leaning close to Natsu as he put her arm around her. No one could supply an adequate answer to her question.

They all looked to Happy, but he had nothing to say.

_/T.T\_

Charle surprised everyone by marching into the guild early the next morning, perfectly healthy. She carried a fish in one paw, and the other was clenched into a fist. Wendy strode in behind her, looking relatively amused but not answering any questions. She simply said, "Watch."

Happy was sitting at a table like yesterday, preparing to visit Charle in fact. When he caught her storming towards him with a somewhat scary look on her face, he wasn't sure whether he should be relieved or running for his life.

She stopped right in front of his table, looking determined. The fish she deposited in front of a baffled Happy, who practically jumped ten feet in the air when it hit the table. "That's for you," she said, scowling a the bar. Happy blinked at her, then at the fish. "For finding me yesterday," she added for clarification.

"It's no problem," Happy said, taking the fish. "I just hope you're feeling better."

Charle nodded. "Yes, I am."

Happy paused before he asked the inevitable question. "So...what was that all about?"

"Nothing," Charle spat, looking away. Was it just him, or was she...blushing? Charle, blushing! He looked at the fish, then at her. He suddenly thrust the fish in her face, startling her out of her foul demeanor. "This is for you," he said, wagging the fish in front of her like it might tempt her into accepting it. She recoiled and pushed it away. "No, thank you."

"Darn!" Happy said, sighing. He'd thought that perhaps yesterday had changed something, but it seemed he had been mistaken. Charle gave him a reluctant smile, trying not to laugh. "I'm not much of a seafood person," she explained, concealing her snicker with a cough. Something in his expression was very amusing.

Happy's jaw dropped, his momentary disappointment dissipitating. "You're not!"

"No," Charle said, shaking her head. "Maybe you should take me someplace not-seafood for lunch, hm?"

"Sure!" he said, grinning. "Wherever you wanna go!" As soon as he said it, he froze. His eyes tripled in size, and his mouth became a big, round _O_. Smiling, Charle waved a hand in his face. "Happy?"

He fell to the floor, unconscious.

Charle slapped her forehead as the whole dining hall erupted in guffaws. Of all the stupid things to do...Happy really was an idiot. Charle sighed, looking at the empty blue shell splayed on the floor and smiling to herself. _Well, he's _my_ idiot now, I suppose_.

And somehow, she was okay with that.

* * *

**Charle and Happy - End **


	5. Erza and Jellal

_**Summary: **After months of imprisonment, the Council has finally decided that Jellal is no longer a threat to Fiore and releases him for good behavior and his claim that he has no recollection of anything he'd done. Torn apart by the betrayal Jellal has inflicted upon her and the unyielding desire to be with her childhood love, what will Erza say when Jellal wishes to join Fairy Tail?_

_*This isn't one of my best stories, but I'm going to do another to follow it up. The other one I had in mind wouldn't have made sense without this one though, so I had to write it first. _

_Mashima Hiro owns Fairy Tail. Am I Mashima Hiro? No, I'm not. _

* * *

**Erza and Jellal**

**by: SmurfLuvsCookies**

Erza paced as she waited for the master, anxious and intrigued as to what he would need to talk to her about in private. What is an important S-Class mission? A secret operation? Erza didn't know. Master Makarov had abruptly asked her to meet him in the upstairs area when no one was around. It was suspicious indeed.

"Hello, Erza." The mage in question jumped and turned to see Makarov. She hadn't even sensed his presence. The master could be quite sneaky when he wanted to be. It unsettled Erza, to an extent.

She wasted no time. "Hello, Master. What have you called me here for?"

"I have some...news to deliver," Makarov sighed and sat on a table, patting the space next to him. "Come sit down, my child, and I'll tell you. I'm not sure how you're going to handle this." Erza cautiously did as she was told, patiently waiting for the master's announcement. She didn't like his current sobriety. He stared at her stoically, assessing her slightest reaction. Then he cleared his throat and began.

"The Council has decided that Jellal Fernandes is innocent due to his amnesia and impressive behavior. They were suspicious at first, considering he had everybody convinced he was one of the good before the Tower of Paradise incident, so they had a mage search his memories. They were completely clean." Makarov paused, letting this sink in. "Do you understand what I'm saying, Erza?"

Erza blinked, trying to keep her face blank. "You're saying that Jellal is going to be released."

"Yes. Tomorrow." Makarov sighed. "But that's only part of the news."

"What's the other part?" Erza inquired.

"As part of his probation, Jellal has to join a guild. He's requested Fairy Tail," Makarov said. He held up his hand as Erza tried to speak. "I want to ask you this right now, Erza. Give me a complete and honest answer. _Do you want Jellal to join this guild?_"

Erza smiled, but it was empty. "Yes, I don't mind if he joins Fairy Tail. Jellal isn't evil anymore. He isn't tainted by Zeref. I honestly believe he's the Jellal I once knew."

"Okay," Makarov said, nodding. "I wanted to make sure that you were okay with it."

"I am."

As he got up to leave, Makarov looked back at his strongest female mage. "Erza, if he hurts you while he's here, in any way, make sure you let me know. I won't hesitate to - "

"Master, you really are like a father to me," Erza laughed. "Thank you for your concern, but I'll be fine. Tell the Council that Fairy Tail would be delighted to have Jellal as a member."

Makarov left. Erza let out a shaky breath and looked down at her hands, trying to keep her breathing under control under the pressure of her constricting lungs. Just when she'd started to forget, when she'd started to heal, he's come back to ensnare her in his web again. But this time it might be for the better.

_That's what you thought last time_.

Erza sighed and dropped her head in her hands. Jellal had caused her so much agony; some of it was on purpose, some of it was unintentional. But Jellal hurt just the same. Erza understood why a rose was the symbol for love. It was breathtakingly beautiful, but painful if you gripped it too hard. Delicate petals soaked in the blood of lovers' broken hearts. Erza sometimes felt that her heart was broken beyond repair, but she found that her guild, her family, was unconsciously bandaging it little by little, piece by piece. Fairy Tail would never hurt her like Jellal had.

And now Jellal was part of Fairy Tail.

The thought triggered unusual feelings in her, a bittersweet mingling of the lightest joy and the deepest sorrow. Erza realized with more than a little surprise that she was also afraid. She was afraid of seeing Jellal. She was afraid that he was going to hurt her again. She shook her head as if to clear it. Erza Scarlet, the Titania of Fairy Tail, did not get scared. Fear was an illusion, one that she would overcome.

When Jellal came tomorrow, she would be ready.

_/T.T\_

Jellal didn't feel like a free man. He still wore handcuffs, and he still had two men walking on either side of him. It was earning him a lot of stares from the citizens of Magnolia, but he didn't care. When he saw the enormous Fairy Tail guild towering above the rest of the town like a guardian, hope swelled within him. That woman, that Erza Scarlet would be inside the guild. Jellal felt his whole body buzz with excitement at this thought. He was going to be able to see her, the Erza Scarlet that now seemed to drive his very existence.

A little old man and a beautiful white-haired woman were waiting for him at the gate. His guards removed his handcuffs and stepped back, nodding at the old man. "He's all yours, Makarov."

"Very good, gentlemen. Thank you very much," the man said, flashing them a grin. As they turned to leave, this Makarov character became sober and gave Jellal a good assessment. Jellal blinked under the pressure of the man's gaze, but he kept his face expressionless. Finally, the old man spoke. "I am Master Makarov, the guildmaster of Fairy Tail. This is Mirajane. We are here to welcome you to our guild."

The one called Mirajane smiled at him sweetly.

Makarov looked at him sternly. "There are a few rules you need to follow in order to join Fairy Tail. The most important thing is that we are a family. Every single person in that guild is your family, whether you like it or not. You will treat them as such. If you hurt another member, you will be immediately expelled, is that clear?" The master said this with such intensity that Mirajane frowned down on him with worry. Jellal gulped, and nodded in ascent.

"Secondly," Makarov continued, "In correspondance with your probation, we have supplied you with an room inside the guild. You won't have to pay rent, but you will still have to pay for all your meals like the rest of the guild." Jellal nodded again, knowing that this was one condition of his freedom. He was completely confined to Fairy Tail for a year; he couldn't even take missions outside of Magnolia. It was a relief that he wouldn't have to pay rent.

Makarov gave one of his trademark grins. "Then welcome to Fairy Tail, my child."

_/T.T\_

Erza's hands were shaking.

Lucy frowned at her companion, tugging on Natsu's shirt to get his attention. She nodded towards the Titania, who seemed lost in her own thoughts. Natsu's pink brows came together, but he didn't say anything to Erza. Instead, he turned to Lucy. "Just leave her alone, alright? She's probably nervous about Jellal."

"Jellal?" Lucy said, her eyebrows shooting up.

Natsu gave her a look. "Didn't anybody tell you? He got out of jail on good behavior, and now as part of his probation he's joining Fairy Tail."

"What? Why didn't I hear anything about this?" Lucy shrieked, looking about as if the ex-criminal might be lurking around the shadowed corners of the guild.

Natsu shrugged. "Everybody knew. I thought that you did too."

"Aye, Lucy, you're really out of the loop," Happy remarked.

"Shut up, you stupid cat!"

Gray sighed and leaned his chin on his fist. "I'm kind of worried about Erza."

"When did you get here...?" Lucy said, recoiling from the ice mage's sudden appearance.

Gray pretended not to hear her and continued. "I mean, I wonder how she's taking his whole thing. I'm not particularly excited about it, but I guess I'll be nice to the guy since he's Erza's...uh...well, you know."

Erza sighed and dropped her silverwear, turning to give them a glare. "I can hear you, you know."

The four of them trembled in fear at the Titania's irritated scowl, but their terror was interrupted by a few figures entering the guild. One was Master Makarov and one was Mirajane. The other was a tall man with blue hair and a tattoo running down the side of his face. It was Jellal Fernandes.

Lucy, Natsu, Gray, and Happy all simultaneously turned to glance at Erza, but she was nowhere to be seen. They gaped at spot she'd just occupied two seconds before. "Where the hell did she go?"

Unknown to the rest of Team Natsu, Erza was huddled in the corner of a random room in the back of the guild, her breath coming out in shallow gasps. _What was that? What was that, Erza? What happened to those hours of mental preparation?_ It did no good. The moment she layed eyes on Jellal, she bolted out of the dining hall. Why, why had she done that? Her firm resolve had crumbled to dust in an instant!

Tears stung in her eyes. She curled into a ball like she used to when she was a girl, hiding from the rest of the world in her solitary corner. She was afraid, so afraid, more afraid than she'd ever been in her entire life. No, that wasn't true. She remembered being this afraid once, when she found Jellal chained up in the displinary room and possessed by Zeref's evil. Only Jellal could make her this afraid.

She knocked her head against her knees and clenched her fist. _I, Erza Scarlet, refuse to be afraid of anything! Nothing will stop me, nothing will send me into hiding! Stand up, Erza! Show them that you are not afraid! You're not a little girl anymore, so just stand up already!_

But Erza Scarlet did not stand up.

_/T.T\_

"There you go! You are now officially a member of Fairy Tail!" Mirajane said happily, stepping back and allowing Jellal to replace his shirt. She caught one last glimpse of the black Fairy Tail insigna on his left shoulderblade before the fabric hid it from view. He turned and gave her a sincere smile, which caught Mira relatively off guard. After all the bad things she'd heard about Jellal, she'd expected him to be nearly as difficult as Gajeel once was. But if Erza loved him, than he couldn't have been very bad at all, right?

"Thank you," he said, straightening out his attire self-consciously.

"It's not trouble at all," Mira said, nodding and wheeling around to attend to her duties as a barmaid. Jellal blurted her name and stood there awkwardly when she turned back around. He glanced up at her almost shyly, his fists opening and closing at his sides. "Do you know where...um, where Erza is?"

"Why, I have absolutely no idea," Mirajane answered, gazing about the guild for the Titania's presence. She noticed Natsu's feiry pink hair and urged him over to the bar. "Natsu, do you know where Erza is?"

"No, I haven't seen her since Jellal came. She bailed as soon as she saw him." Natsu cocked his head to the side as Mirajane made subtle gestures for him to shut up, since the Salamander obviously hadn't noticed that Jellal was within earshot. "Something wrong, Mira? Gotta twitch in your neck?"

Mira sighed and slapped her forehead, blatantly pointing at the newfound guildmember. Jellal was too lost in his own swirling vortex of utter disbelief to pay any attention to them. _She bailed as soon as she saw him, she bailed as soon as she saw him, she bailed as soon as she saw him_...Jellal gazed at his hands in befuddlement. He'd come all this way to see his Erza Scarlet, and she ran away when he walked through the door! _Why?_

"I mean, it wasn't like she was _fleeing_ or anything like that! She probably just had to go to the bathroom really bad!" Natsu said frantically, trying to console Jellal. Mirajane dragged her hand across her face, because Natsu really wasn't helping any.

Jellal suddenly looked up at Natsu, his raw emotions plain on his face. Natsu froze and stared back at the other mage for a long moment. Then his face became set in determination and he clapped a hand on Jellal's shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll help you look for her."

After a while, the whole guild was searching for their missing Titania. Anyone who had flying abilities even flew around Magnolia, but there was no sign of Erza. Surprisingly enough, it was Elfman who finally discovered her form curled up behind some boxes in the back room. He paused for a moment to take her in, the girl who was once his sister's rival. That wasn't this woman in front of him. The fierce, sometimes frightening, cake-loving, fearless, invincible Erza was not here in front of him; this was a broken piece of her, a physical being left behind while the rest sailed off on a voyage across a sea of thought.

Elfman shook his head to clear it. He could feel his old poetic self from the old days coming to the surface, but real men didn't read poetry...in public. He glared at the back of Erza's still form and hardened his resolve. Then, trying not to quake in terror, he nudged her with his foot.

She didn't even turn around. "Go away."

Elfman gulped at her frightening tone. "N-no."

"I said _go away_," she hissed, rolling over to shoot him a piercing glare. Elfman felt his blood run cold (besides Evergreen, Erza was probably to only woman who could do that to him with just a single look), but he stood his ground and returned the glare at full potency. "I said no. Everybody is looking for you, and you still haven't met the new member."

"I have," Erza sighed, sitting up and tucking her knees in. She looked up at Elfman like a lost child seeking help. It was pitiful to see the Titania fallen like this, but Elfman was her nakama and she knew she could trust him not to kick her while she was down. "Please don't make me go out there, Elfman. I'm so scared, I don't want to see him. I thought I could prepare myself, but...I'm just so scared." Erza placed her head in her hands and stifled a sob.

Elfman could feel rage building up inside him like a tropical storm. "Are you kidding me?" he practically screamed, causing Erza to look up in alarm. "You are Erza, the Titania of Fairy Tail! Fairy Tail mages don't hide from fear in corners, and neither to real men! No, real men and Fairy Tail mages fight their fears until they can beat them down and never be afraid again! That's what real men and Fairy Tail mages do!"

Erza gaped up at Elfman. "Fight my fears...?"

"Yeah!" Elfman roared, galvanized into manliness (or his opinion of it) by his speech. "Real men fight with their fists!"

Erza was too busy basking in her epiphany to notice him.

_/T.T\_

Natsu shifted awkwardly beside Jellal, who was staring down at his hands with the look of someone helplessly and desperately lost. After searching nearly every inch of the guild, they still hadn't found Erza. Jellal was beginning to lose hope that he would ever talk to her again. Had he really cut her that deep? To the point where she couldn't even look at him without taking flight?

"Don't worry, man. She'll come around eventua - " Natsu began, but he was interupted by a loud crash from the back of the guild. Everyone turned to lay eyes on Erza; furocious and ready for battle. Elfman quivered by her side, utterly confused by her sudden change in behavior. One minute she was breaking, and the next she was swarmed with a menacing aura and shoving him aside to get to the door.

She raised one gauntlet-adorned hand and pointed directly at Jellal, glaring intensely. "Jellal Fernandes," she boomed with authority, "I, Erza Scarlet, hereby formally challenge you to a duel!"

Jellal blinked in perplexity, pointing at his self. "Me?"

"Yes, you!"

"Why?" Jellal inquired, cocking his head to the side imploringly. Was this the way all Fairy Tail members handled their issues? By fighting it out with their fists? It seemed rather...barbaric, if you asked him. Primal.

"Don't ask _why_!" Natsu interjected, yanking him off the bench and pushing him towards the ominous Erza. "She's asking you to do something for her! Just do it!"

Jellal nodded and cleared his throat as he looked at the passionate Titania. "I accept."

Erza smiled, and drew her sword.

"_WAIT_!" Master Makarov cried, silencing everyone with his thunderous tone. "Take this outside. We can't afford another new guild right now."

Muttering and mumbling, the entirety of Fairy Tail shuffled out of the guild and onto a convenient grassy field located right outside Magnolia. They surrounded Erza and Jellal in a circle, already attempting to make hasty bets on the winner. Jellal stared at this determined Erza in awe, marveling at her confidence and her shining armor and her long scarlet hair that blew in the wind. She was magnificent.

Likewise, Erza was trying to control her haggard breathing. Elfman was right; she needed to prove to herself that she could defend herself against Jellal, physically and emotionally. There was no better way to do that than a fight. When two people fought, it was like a desperate dance for survival. You got a glance into the person's soul. Still, the sight of Jellal's composed figure in the sunlight was enough to send both chilling fear and burning desire through her.

Mirajane stepped between the two fighters, glancing between them curiously. _This ought to be interesting_...without further adieu, she raised her hand in a referee type manner and announced, "Fight!"

_/T.T\_

There was nothing primal about fighting Erza. She was stunning when she used her powers, and each blow was powerful and destructive. Jellal often found himself transfixed by her gracefulness and knocked to the ground soon after. A few minutes in, it was easy to see who was going to win this fight. That didn't mean Jellal went easy on her, though. He fought his hardest, but Erza seemed to have something to fight for.

Finally, Jellal was thrown to the ground and he couldn't get back up. He raised one hand in the air, signalling Erza to stop. "I give up," he wheezed, sitting up on his elbows and shooting her a grin. "I'm completely drained of magic power, Erza. You win."

There were cheers all about, but Erza only had eyes for the one she had beaten. She was almost drained too, but that didn't stop her from grinning back at him. Jellal was defeated, and he was hers again. She had nothing to worry about anymore. She probably didn't have anything to worry about before. And, although the thought of seeing him every day still made her stomach flip, she felt that she could officially accept him as one of Fairy Tail now.

She exquipped back into her usual armor and walked over to him, holding out a hand to help him up. The feel of Jellal's hand sent a thrill through her entire body, but she ignored it. Just because Jellal was good again didn't mean that she wanted to go back to the way things were before the evil twisted him; that is, warped and complicated. Jellal didn't have any memories, so they could start anew. This battle was a representation of that. A new beginning, a new story entirely.

Erza looked earnestly into his dark eyes and asked, "Would you like to go get some cake?"

"Certainly, my treat," Jellal laughed. Cake...he never would have guessed that Erza had a soft spot for cake of all things. He wanted to learn everything about her, and he wanted her to teach him about himself. He was starting from the foundation, but he was going to build a strong relationship with this woman. He could feel it in his veins as he walked back to the guild with her, leaving the others behind. He stared at her peaceful face as she closed her eyes and breathed in the cool evening air. He wanted Erza Scarlet to always shine brighter than her armor, to soar to the greatest heights like a shooting star and never worry about plummeting back down to earth. He wanted to love her, and he wanted her to love him. He didn't know how long that would take, or if it would ever really happen. But he had plenty of time to figure all that out.

Right now, he was just focused on treating Erza to her cake.

* * *

**Erza and Jellal - To Be Continued**


	6. Erza and Jellal II

_**Summary: **Now that Jellal is officially part of Fairy Tail, he and Erza can finally be together as one. But Erza also has another love: cake. When the Titania discovers she's gained several pounds due to her excessive cake consumption, Aquaris plants the idea in her head that Jellal won't love her anymore if she gets too fat. But after vigorous exercise and a reluctant diet, Erza finds that she hasn't lost any weight; in fact, she's gained more! It becomes evident that cake isn't the cause of her rapid weight-gaining. Which begs the question, what is?_

_Guess what? I don't own Fairy Tail! Mashima Hiro does._

* * *

**Erza and Jellal II**

**by: SmurfLuvsCookies**

_Oh, delectable strawberry, poised upon this glittering sheen of rosy frosting, you bring me such joy_, Erza thought poetically. She skewered the plump red surface of the strawberry with the silver spokes of her fork, then promptly popped the fruit in her mouth. _Yum_.

"Eating cake again?" Erza turned to see Jellal shooting her an adoring smile. He plopped down in the bar stool next to her and ordered a drink from Mirajane. As he waited, he quickly dipped his finger in the puffy border of white frosting that decorated the edge of the cake and tasted it. He wrinkled his nose. "Ugh, how do you eat that stuff? It's too sweet."

"No, it's perfect," Erza disagreed, defending her cake fervently.

Jellal laughed at her serious expression. "Whatever you say."

"ERZA! WE FOUND A JOB!" Natsu interjected, waving a slip of paper high up in the air. Lucy, Gray, and Happy stood behind him, ready to go. Erza heaved a mournful sigh and stared longingly at the remains of her cake. _Oh, well, I guess I'll have to save this for another time_, she thought, slowly setting the plate on the bar and hopping off the stool. She turned to Jellal and almost sighed again. Natsu had evidently picked the job, so who knew how long they'd be gone _this_ time? Surprisingly enough, Erza found that she didn't like taking long-term jobs since Jellal started pursuing her romantically.

Jellal smirked and bestowed a kiss upon her lips. Erza had long since discovered that she liked intimacy with Jellal. She was shy about it at first, especially in public, but she got over that eventually.

"Be good while I'm gone," she ordered with a smile.

Jellal considered this. "Maybe."

"Are you guys done swapping spit yet? Let's go, we gotta mission to do!" Natsu called impatiently, while Lucy castigated him for ruining Erza and Jellal's romantic moment. Erza made a face and turned to glare at the Salamander. "Okay, okay, I'm coming!" she snapped. She stood on tiptoe to give Jellal one last kiss before departing with her team.

_/T.T\_

"_Lucy!_"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" A sopping Lucy pointed accusingly at her stellar spirit, Aquaris. "It's her fault, Erza, not mine!" Erza turned her sinister glare onto the nonchalant spirit, who raised an eyebrow and huffed.

"Don't look at me like that," Aquaris sneered, crossing her arms defiantly. "I say that Lucy is my key holder, so she should take responsibility if she doesn't use me the right way." The stellar spirit turned to Lucy and gave her an arrogant smirk. "Don't bother me for a couple days. I'm going on a trip with my boyfriend. Which you should think about doing every once in a while, or yours will disappear, Lucy."

"I am on a trip with my boyfriend!" Lucy defended. Natsu wasn't present at the moment, as they had left Lucy and Erza to deal with the dark guild while they found the master and convinced him to stop attacking the townspeople. During this time, Lucy had summoned Aquaris to handle the large mob of dark guild members (a mercenary guild, of course) and, in doing so, left Erza and herself dripping.

Aquaris laughed. "Now I really feel bad for him!"

"Actually, Natsu probably prefers a mission to a vacation," Erza said blatantly, her eyes glazing over at the ridiculous reality of her statement. Aquaris dragged a curious eye over Erza, soggy and clanking in her armor. "You must have a boyfriend already, huh?" she said. Erza would have taken the question as a compliment, if it weren't for the snobby implications that came with the tone.

"What do you mean?" she growled, absently resting a hand on her sword.

"You're letting yourself go because you've already sealed the deal, right? Let me guess, you have a weakness for chocolate or something," Aquaris asked with a chuckle.

Erza felt the blood rush to her face in a flash of rage. She made to strike the bothersome stellar spirit with her sword, but she had already dissipated back to wherever she came from. Erza could still feel the outrage in her veins. How dare Aquaris call her fat! She most certainly was not fat, even if she did like her sweets every now and then.

With Aquaris gone and no one else to direct her anger at, Erza wheeled around and spared Lucy a vehement glare. The shocked stellar spirit trembled in her boots, never really having been the unfortunate target of the Titania's dramatic temper. Luckily, the guys decided to make an appearance in that moment, with the defeated guildmaster of the tiny dark guild in tow.

"Hey, you guys did it!" Natsu exclaimed, dumping the beat-up guildmaster on the ground. He froze when he saw Erza's enraged expression, and immediately started to break out in a cold sweat. "Erza, wh-what did Lucy do this time...?"

"Huh?" Lucy cried, giving Natsu a sharp look.

Erza turned and scowled at the three trembling boys. "Do I look fat to you?"

"No, of course not!" Gray quaked.

"Who would say such a thing?" Natsu said.

"It was you, wasn't it, Lucy?" Happy accused. Every pair of eyes gave the celestial mage a incredulous look. She stamped her foot at the unjustified finger-pointing and redoubled her glare potency. "I didn't say anything regarding Erza's weight! It was that stupid Aquaris!"

"A celestial mage is responsible for her spirits, you know," Gray pointed out, saying anything to avoid the Titania's wrath.

Lucy glared at him. "Oh, just shut up."

"I don't want to talk about this any further," Erza declared, holding up a hand to silence them. "I was foolish to bring it up in the first place. My apologies. It's irrelevant at this point, am I right? Come on, let's just go home."

There were no objections to her proposal.

_/T.T\_

"Lucy, you're such a liar!" Erza decreed, giving the celestial spirit a demeaning glare. Lucy blinked at Erza's sudden accusation, frowning slightly. "What?" she said.

"You told me that if I went on a diet, I would lose weight," Erza continued, resting her hands on her hips. "I've been limiting my cake consumption and eating nothing but healthy foods for an entire two weeks, and on top of that I've been exercising daily. I've only gained weight!"

"Why does it matter?" Lucy sighed. "You're not fat, Erza, and you don't need to lose weight."

"It's not about that," Erza said. "I just want to know why I keep gaining weight!"

Lucy considered it. "I don't know...have you been to the doctor lately?"

"No. Why would I need to go to the doctor? Do you think I have some kind of disease?"

Lucy raised her eyebrows. "Um...no. I just figured that since you and Jellal are going out you probably, you know, do stuff...and when you do stuff, other stuff happens..."

"Like what?" Erza inquired, cocking her head.

Lucy became uncomfortable. "Like...um...well, like children."

Erza turned a vivid shade of red to match her hair. "You think I'm pregnant!"

"I-I don't know! You could be, I guess, but I wouldn't know! I'm just saying that if you think you could be pregnant, and you keep gaining weight, and if you missed your - Erza! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you!" Lucy dropped her head in her hands as the Titania stormed out of the guild.

"What's up with her?" Cana drawled, flopping down in the seat next to Lucy.

Lucy sighed. "It's a long story."

_/T.T\_

Jellal stared at Erza's drooped head, jaw dropped. To say he was shocked would be an understatement. He was completely unprepared for the news she'd just delivered, and she'd done nothing to warn him. She'd just burst into his room and sprang it on him in a gush of words.

He cleared his throat, trying to come up with a coherent thought. "So...you're telling me...that you're...that we're..."

"Pregnant," Erza finished, nodding. "We're going to have a baby."

"Are you sure?" Jellal blurted, because the possibility of such a thing happening to him seemed unreal. He half expected Erza to laugh and admit it was all just a practical joke, though she wasn't one for pranks.

Erza gave him a look. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure, Jellal."

Jellal's face split into a huge grin before he could stop it. "Erza! That's fantastic!"

"What?" Erza said, blinking. This was obviously not the reaction she was expecting. What she had been expecting, Jellal couldn't guess, but he could see that his overjoyed attitude pleased her considerably.

"Yeah! This is great news! I can't exactly say I've been wanting a kid, but I'm not complaining," he said taking her hands and smiling at her. Erza still looked worried, her brows puckering slightly with a frown. This dimmed his happiness a bit. "What's wrong, Erza? Do you not want...?"

"No! I just don't know if...I mean, we haven't really been dating that long and..." Erza let out a breath, messaging her temples. "I never had a mother or a father, and neither have you. I don't know if we can do it. I don't know if I can do it. A child is such a big responsibility."

"We're not going to be the only ones raising it, Erza," Jellal laughed, squeezing her hands. "This baby is going to be part of the Fairy Tail family. They'll fill in where we can't, they'll help us. Have you told them yet?"

Erza squirmed slightly. "Um...no..."

Jellal smiled and pulled her off the bed, tugging her towards the door. "Come on then, let's do it." He guided her out into the dining hall, where the evening crowd was assembled at their various tables. The guild seemed even fuller than usual, and it didn't help Erza's nerves. She spotted her closest friends, Team Natsu, in one corner. She focused on them. Then, she stepped onto the bar and called for everbody's attention. They stared at her expectantly, the faces ranging from interest to confusion.

"I'd just like you all to know that I'm...that Jellal and I...we're going to have a baby." She winced in anticipation for the roar of a crowd, but the guild was as silent as could be. She looked up to see every astonished eye on her, processing the news she'd just delivered. The silence stretched uncomfortably, and Erza shuffled under the intense gaze of her friends. "Okay...this is awkward..." she mumbled.

Natsu was the first to speak. "No way! Is it a boy or a girl?" he cried, leaping up onto the counter and pressing his ear against Erza's armored belly, as if expecting it to balloon up right before his very eyes. Erza knocked him off the counter violently. "I don't know yet, you fool!"

Lucy got all starry eyed as her boyfriend twitched on the ground at her feet. "Aw, I love babies!"

Happy gaped and pointed at her. "Lucy eats babies!"

"Stop twisting my words, you stupid cat!"

"Don't go near her, Charle, she eats babies!" Happy warned, shielding the white Exceed from the blonde celestial mage. Charle knocked him on the ground next to his Dragonslayer, a vein popping up on her forehead. "I'm not pregnant, you idiot."

"Aye."

Juvia gasped and wheeled around to look at Gray, but he clapped a hand over her mouth before she could say anything. "We aren't going to try and have a baby," he said. Juvia's shoulders slumped, but she kept her idea to herself.

Erza sighed and stepped down from the bar as the guild resumed normal conversation. Most of it was about her child. She wasn't entirely sure if this was a good or a bad thing, but she supposed it didn't matter either way. Mirajane slapped two drinks down on the counter for her and Jellal, smiling. "Congratulations, Erza," she said. "Do you have any idea what you're going to name it?"

Erza thought for a moment. "I don't know...I've always liked the name Meow for a girl."

Mira's eyes widened with horror. "M-meow? You mean like the sound a cat makes?"

"And I thought that if it was a boy, we could name it after the master."

"Makarov...or Meow," Mirajane squeaked. She turned her hopes to Jellal. "What about you? Do you have any name ideas?"

Jellal considered this. "I've always liked the name Fanny for a girl, and Ferninand for a boy."

"Fanny? _Ferninand?_" Mirajane groaned. She didn't think it was possible to come up with names worse than Erza's, but she was evidently mistaken. She looked around desperately for someone who might change their minds, and saw Levy not too far away. Levy was good with words, maybe she could help. "Levy! Levy, come over here for a second!"

Levy padded over to the bar with Gajeel in tow. "Hi, Erza. Hey, Jellal. Congrats on the baby."

"Thank you, Levy," Erza said.

"Do you have any names to give for the baby?" Mirajane inquired, praying that the answer was yes and that the names would be decent. "The names they've come up with are Meow, Fanny, Makarov, and _Ferninand_."

"O-oh..." Levy said. "W-wow those are...well, those are certainly...interesting..."

"Those names suck," Gajeel said bluntly, grimacing. "Poor kid."

"Fine, then what do _you_ suggest?" Erza challenged, offended.

Levy considered. "Well, how about - " she began, but her stool was knocked over by Natsu. She laid on the floor, processing what had happened as Natsu continued his destructive path to Erza. "Ow," she said.

"Erza, I have the perfect name for your baby!" Natsu pitched. "How about you name it: Erzal!"

"Erzal?" Erza said, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah, like 'Erza' and 'Jellal' put together! Erzal!"

Erza sighed. "Definitely not."

"You should name it Lucy if it's a girl," Lucy suggested, trying to look as adorable as possible.

"Rejected."

"_What?_ Lucy is an awesome name!"

"No reallly," Natsu said. "It's kind of unoriginal, actually."

"Who asked you?"

Elfman shoved them aside. "You should name him Manly!" he roared.

"I should slap you for suggesting such a preposterous name for my child," Erza declined.

Romeo jumped up and down. "Oh, you should name her Juliet!"

"No, because what if you fall in love with her? Remember, man, _Erza's_ the mom," Macao chuckled, nudging his son. This earned him a violent scolding from Erza. Cana rose from her drunken stupor just long enough to suggest the name "Booze," but she didn't even stay awake long enough to hear it's immediate rejection.

The hall erupted into arguments over Erza and Jellal's future baby's name. The mother in question heaved a sigh and flopped down next to Jellal, wishing for some cake. Jellal chuckled and patted her hand. "Don't worry, we have plenty of time to come up with a name. There's no doubt that this is a Fairy Tail baby, huh?"

"No, no doubt at all," Erza said.

_/T.T\_

As Erza's belly grew bigger, the names became more ridiculous. The guildmembers came up with everything from Artichoke to Zooba; however, none of them could seem to come up with a name that was even relatively decent. As nine months rushed by, Erza became concerned that she wouldn't come up with a name in time. She was due any day now.

Erza absolutely hated being pregnant. She couldn't take missions since her bloated belly got in the way and it endangered the baby, so Jellal was forced to support her until she gave birth and recovered. He could only take requests in Magnolia though, and those were few and far between. On top of that, it seemed like she cried over every little thing. She had to pee _all the time_. And she felt like an inflated balloon, fat and puffy. She couldn't wear her armor, either. It really was just an uncomfortable situation.

She felt the baby kick a lot, often when she was speaking. Jellal said that the baby liked the sound of her voice. That pleased Erza considerably, and she felt herself glow with pride whenever the baby moved. It was hard to place the feeling that arose when she realized that something - that _someone_ - was growing inside of her, but it was definitely a feeling really close to joy.

One day, as Erza sat eating cake next to Jellal, Mirajane suddenly snapped her fingers and pointed at Erza. "I know what you should name your baby!" she declared. Erza blinked, suprised by Mira's sudden outburst. If she was this excited about it, maybe it would actually be worth considering. "What?" she asked.

"If it's a girl, you should name her Violet," she said, nodding. "You have red hair and Jellal has blue hair, and together that makes purple."

"Violet...that is kind of pretty," Erza said. "But what if it's a boy?"

Mirajane shrugged. "I don't know."

"If it's a boy, you should name him Apollo," Levy offered, sliding into the stool next to Erza. "I've been trying to suggest it for a while, but I kept getting interrupted."

"Apollo? Why?"

"Any child of yours is bound to shine like the sun, right?" Levy giggled. She sighed and rested her chin on her fist. "If I had a boy, that's what I would name him."

Gajeel wrinkled his nose. "Really?"

"Yes, really," Levy confirmed.

"Violet or Apollo," Erza muttered. "I like it. What do you think, Jellal?"

"Me too," Jellal agreed.

Erza beamed. "Great! Now we have names! I wonder if it will be a boy or a girl...?"

"You'll find out pretty soon," Charle said prophetically, hopping off the counter to go get some towels.

"What are you - ?" Erza stopped, gasping and clutching her swollen belly. Jellal frowned, concerned. Erza straightened up, her face pale. "The baby, I think it's coming," she warned. Jellal, Mira, Levy, and Gajeel all froze, too shocked to move. Natsu tore through the crowd, Charle at his heels. He scooped Erza up in his arms and scoffed at the lot of them. "What are you doing? Erza's giving birth here!" With that, he sprinted from the guild and towards the hospital.

_/T.T\_

After several hours of screaming, cursing, and fainting, Jellal finally got himself together and held his little baby girl in his arms. She had a shock of violet hair at the top of her head (a result of some colorwheel genetics, no doubt) and a birthmark on her forehead in the shape of a crescent moon. Because of this, they decided to name her Luna Violet Scarlet-Fernandes. Quite the colorful mouthful, but a nice name just the same. One suited for a Fairy Tail baby.

And Luna was most certainly a Fairy Tail baby. As soon as the horrificly beautiful experience of birth was over, the entirety of the guild burst into the room and demanded to see Erza and the baby. In only five minutes of life, Luna had been passed around by at least one hundred people. Erza was hysterical; it was the mages of Fairy Tail, after all. She loved them, and she trusted them with her life, but she doubted that they knew how to handle a newborn child. She barely knew how herself.

When Luna was returned safely into her arms, she ordered everybody out. She was tired and wanted nothing more than to rest. The only people who were allowed to stay were Jellal, Lucy, Natsu, Happy, Gray, and Mirajane.

"Mira, Natsu," Erza began. "Should anything happen to us, we want you to be the godparents."

"WHAT?" Natsu, Mirajane, and Lucy said at the same time. Erza glared at Lucy in an attempt to shut her up, but it proved a failure. "Why Mira? Don't you want me as the godmother?" she cried.

"No," Erza said blatantly.

Lucy plummeted into depression as Mirajane awkwardly consoled her.

Erza held Luna up to Natsu. "You want to hold her?"

"N-no, I think I'm - " Natsu began, but Erza thrust Luna into his arms before he could finish declining. Natsu nervously tried to balance the fragile baby in his arms, hoping that he didn't break her or something. When she was finally settled, he prodded at her chubby cheek. She was a cute baby. The cutest he'd ever seen, really. Her tiny hand wrapped around his finger in order to get him to stop poking her face. Her hand was so tiny that she couldn't even wrap it all the way around.

"I wanna hold her!" Gray said, trying to grab Luna.

Natsu whisked her out of his grasp. "You can't just grab a baby from someone's arms! You don't deserve to hold her!"

"Lemme see her!"

"NO!"

Erza sighed. "I don't think Luna is going to have any shortage of attention."

"No," Jellal laughed. "No, she's already got Natsu wrapped around her finger."

"She'll have everybody like that before long," Erza decided, watching Gray and Natsu fight over her newborn. With a sigh, she struggled to stand and knocked them both over the head. "I just gave birth and you two can't stop bickering! Give me my baby, I'm going home!"

"Wait, shouldn't you stay the night?" Mirajane fretted.

Erza scoffed. "Absolutely not. I hate hospital food."

"But Erza - "

"No, I'm not staying. Come on, Jellal."

"It's not healthy for you to - "

"I don't care. Hurry up, Jellal, or the doctor will see us!"

"Erza!"

Mirajane surrendered and helped smuggle Erza out of the hospital, while Natsu, Happy, and Gray pretended to be ninjas. This mainly consisted of wrapping various clothing items around their heads and reciting the phrase, "Nin-nin." Lucy sighed and walked along side them, until Natsu accused her of giving away their position and threw her over his shoulder. "Natsuuu!" she cried as they raced from the hospital.

A nurse did a double take as they left. "Hey, where are you going?"

"RUN! OUR COVER'S BEEN BLOWN!" Natsu cried, blocking the nurse's view. The rest of them sprinted from the hospital, leaving chaos in their wake. Erza laughed when she looked down at the baby in her arms.

Her first Fairy Tail adventure, and Luna was still sound asleep.

* * *

**Erza and Jellal - End**


	7. Evergreen and Elfman

**_Summary_**_: Descriptions for the unanswered questions of the mysterious inner-workings of Evergreen and Elfman's peculiar relationship. How exactly did Elfman convince Evergreen to partner with him for the S-Class exams? How did Evergreen devise the plan to defeat Mirajane? What happened after Rustyrose defeated them? The answers to these questions and more are now revealed. _

_*Evergreen and Elfman chapter, due to popular demand. And thank you for those of you who reviewed. I know my ideas have been kind of a flop lately, but hopefully my future chapters will make up for it. I know this one's kinda short, but I think it's good. I published it pretty quick too. :)_

_Last time I checked, I don't own Fairy Tail. Mashima Hiro does, I believe. _

* * *

**Evergreen and Elfman**

**by: SmurfLuvsCookies**

Fried and Bixlow were going to parish. Evergreen just wasn't sure how yet.

Those imbeciles! How dare Fried choose Bixlow over her! Bixlow was an insufferable fool, powerful no doubt, but he was still a tongue-wagging, voo-doo using idiot! And Fried preferred his company over hers! In a battle between the two of them, Evergreen was certain that she could defeat Bixlow. She was sure she could defeat Fried too, as long as he didn't have time to properly assemble a rune trap. Why she hadn't been chosen to participate in the S-Class exams in the first place was beyond her, but she was equally peeved about that. If Fried and Bixlow were actually promoted to S-Class mages, Evergreen would explode with loathing. She hoped that they failed the first round, just out of spite.

Out of the corner of her eye, Evergreen noticed Elfman coming her way. She rolled her eyes and huffed. The fact that the great lumbering brute had also been chosen for the S-Class exams and she had not, even after she had proven she could beat him in battle, was another thorn in her side. There was no doubt in her mind that the older sister, Mirajane, had a hand in his selection. For this reason, she'd been sending him a multitude of nasty glares.

"Hey, Ever," he began, flopping down in the stool next to hers.

She sent a vitriolic scowl his way. "Don't call me that. It's Evergreen to you."

"Sorry, I just think Evergreen is kind of a mouthful," he muttered, crossing his arms. With a sigh, he waved a hand dismissively. "But that's not important. I know that Fried chose Bixlow instead of you - "

"Do you want me to slap you?"

" - So, I was thinking that you could team up with me." Elfman let his suggestion hang in the air. Evergreen blinked, because he had actually surprised her without being brutish about it. She was about to snap at him to go away, for Elfman was probably one of the most annoying guildmembers that she knew, but she hesitantly decided to consider the offer. It provided both a spot in the S-Class exams and the opportunity to prove herself. She slyly sized Elfman up. He may have been rather simpleminded, but he was also fairly strong. She could be the brains of the operation, and he could be the brawn. It wasn't a bad match, actually.

"Well," Evergreen began, "What makes you think that I want to team up with you?"

Elfman rolled his eyes. "I'm not too psyched about this either, okay? I wanted Lisanna as my partner, but she already promised Juvia. She said that you were pretty pissed about Fried choosing Bixlow instead of you, so you must want to be in the exams. Real men don't leave a woman pissed, and they don't beg for partners."

"Okay, first of all, don't start with that 'real men' crap," Evergreen ordered, holding up a hand to silence him. "It's annoying. I'll team up with you, but don't think it's because I like you or anything."

"I didn't say - "

" - I'm just doing this because I want to be in the exams - "

" - I don't like you - "

" - And because I want revenge against Fried and Bixlow." Evergreen paused, and crossed her arms. "But you can't call me Ever, you can't interrupt me when I'm speaking, you can't order me around, and you can't do that whole 'real men' crap. Got it?"

Elfman submitted to her irritating requirements, knowing that he would do what he wanted no matter how many times she threatened to pull out of the exams. He was slowly beginning to regret following Lisanna's advice.

But at least he had a partner, albeit an annoying one. Hopefully she was strong enough to get the job done.

_/T.T\_

"I told you I wasn't going to go easy on you, didn't I?" Demon Mirajane smiled at her brother and Evergreen wickedly, waiting for them to get off the ground. Elfman struggled to stand. Mira was keeping her promise; he hadn't seen her fight this hard since the festival when she fought Fried. Him and Evergreen were both covered with wounds and breathing raggedly, but Mirajane didn't even harbor a scratch. It was both infuriating and admirable.

"Real men don't loose to their sisters!" he roared, peeling himself off the ground. Evergreen shot him a look of the upmost aggrivation. "Would you just shut up already?" she shrieked, struggling to get off the ground. "Maybe if you paid less attention to your manliness and more to the fight, we would actually - "

Mirajane cut her off, swooping down and attacking them both in the blink of an eye. They were thrown against the ground, not even two feet away from each other. Elfman grabbed Evergreen and pulled her out of the way before Mira's magic could reach her. He took the hit in his shoulder, grimacing. Evergreen blinked, and then scowled at him. "I don't need your protection!" she spat.

"Real men...protect...their women," Elfman wheezed.

Evergreen glowed red with anger. "I'm not _your_ woman!"

Mirajane swooped down again, once more interrupting their bickering. "You're gonna have to do better than that if you want to get past me!" she squealed, soaring into the air and landing back down on the ground in a running stance. "Here I come!"

Evergreen barely had time to think. Elfman's claiming her to be his woman clicked somewhere inside her mind, and just as Mirajane was within attacking distance, she said, "Elfman and I are getting married!"

Mirajane stopped so abruptly that Evergreen was surprised she didn't get whiplash. Her gaze flickered frantically from Elfman to Evergreen, but it couldn't have been more than a second. Elfman was ready. He hit Mirajane as hard as he could without severely injuring her, while Evergreen used her needles to add to the attack. Mira flew across the arena and hit the adjacent wall. No sooner had she collapsed did the gate open.

Evergreen cheered, and turned to smile at Elfman. His grasped his injured shoulder with an expression of pain, but he was shooting her a goofy grin. He gave her a thumbs-up before stumbling. Evergreen slipped his arm over her shoulder and supported him as they made their way to the gate, ignoring his boisterous claims that, "Real men don't give in to their injuries!"

They were the last ones to show up, and they were bickering when they did, but they made it just the same.

_/T.T\_

"Real men don't run away!"

"Shut up and run!"

Evergreen and Elfman sprinted through the forest, a huge pig-beast lumbering after them. It obviously wasn't magic, but Evergreen didn't want to risk stopping to attack it. The beast was simply too big and too fast. It would squash them if they so much as paused for a breath. Unfortunately, they were already starting to lag with ennui and their wounds.

"Go that way!" Elfman ordered, gesturing to a slight opening in the forest. Reason told her that it was a good escape plan, but irritation overwhelmed her reason when she glared at him instead of listening. "Don't tell me where to go!"

The beast was much too close for comfort. Evergreen looked back, desperately trying to formulate a plan in her head. Nothing came to her as the enormous foot loomed above her, ready to drop down and squish her like a bug.

"Ever!" Elfman rammed into her and pushed her towards the niche, safely out of reach from the threatening foot. They rolled downhill, scratched by debris and underbrush. Finally, they stopped at the base of the hill. Evergreen sighed in relief and then looked up to find Elfman's face just inches from hers.

She blushed vividly when she realized that Elfman was on top of her, his many hard pounds of muscle squishing her against the ground. The most peculiar thing was that she couldn't deny that she was completely revulsed by the stance. In fact, she found it quite...

When the word "sexy" came to mind, Evergreen shoved the nearly unconscious Elfman off of her. There was no possible way that she could ever find this idiotic brute attractive in any aspect. Sure, he did have a bunch of muscles, and yeah, his dorky smile was kind of cute...but there was no way that Evergreen would find any of that attractive! Never! Not in a billion years!

"Don't get any ideas because I told your sister we were getting married!" she spat, scrambling off the ground and retreating a safe distance away from the startled Elfman. "It was just so she would let her guard down. Don't start thinking I like you, or anything."

Elfman groaned from his mangled position on the ground, _almost_ too tired to deal with Evergreen's delusional suggestion. Honestly, the thought never crossed his mind.

_/T.T\_

This poor excuse for a man, Rustyrose, was going to destroy them. He was going to destroy Fairy Tail, and all of the non-magical people in the world. But the worst part was, Elfman could do nothing about it. He thought that his ploy with the glasses would be his victory, but he was wrong. Rustyrose's power was too great for him; he would have to admit defeat like a man.

"Come to me, Tower of Dingir! Crush these foolish fairies!" Rustyrose yelled, laughing like a maniac. Elfman and Evergreen were thrust into the air, and Elfman panicked when he realized he couldn't move. It was almost like the damn tower was absorbing him!

"Elfman..." He looked at Evergreen, who was paralyzed like him. "Hang in there, Ever!" he cried, trying to find a way to get out of this ridiculous, unmanly trap. He was expecting some sort of angry reaction about how only that jerk Laxus was allowed to call her Ever, but that was okay as long as it kept her conscious. Her next words caught him completely off guard.

"I'm so sorry," she said. "I couldn't make you an S-Class mage."

Elfman could tell she really meant it, by the sincerity in her voice and the tears in her eyes. Plus, he doubted that Evergreen was one to apologize unless she was crushed with guilt or blame. But that was absurd, because he would have been defeated by his sister in the first round if it weren't for Ever. He flashed her a grin. "And you call me an idiot. It's because of you that I even got this far."

She turned to him and let him see the full extent of her misery, her guilt, written on her face. "Elfman..."

"Thank you, Ever." Elfman gave her one last smile before everything went black.

It took a lot of willpower, but after a while Elfman finally regained consciousness. The damage around him was catastrophic, from the tower exploding, he presumed. He pulled himself into the upright position, grimacing as waves of agony pulsed throughout his body. He wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep, but that wasn't a possibility. He needed to find Ever, and he needed to find someone to help them. He tried to stand, but fell back down. The second time he eventually got to his feet.

_Where is she?_ he thought, blinking away the blinding sunlight as he stumbled past the wreckage. _Where's Ever?_ He called her name, but he knew that she wouldn't answer. Elfman sighed with relief when he found her, half-buried in a nest of debris. He dug her out and checked for a pulse, for breathing. She was alive.

She stirred when he slipped his hands under her, hoisting her slight body up in his arms. "Elfman..." she mumbled, a crease forming between her eyebrows.

"I'm here, Ever," Elfman replied, pausing to flash her a smile she couldn't see. "Don't worry, I'm gonna get help. A real man doesn't let his partner suffer."

"Elfman...I wanted...to say thanks," Evergreen continued. "For choosing me...as your partner."

Elfman sniffed, manly tears pricking his eyes. "If I hadn't chosen you, you'd be safe at the guild."

"I know," Evergreen said with an attempt at a smirk. She opened one brown eye, on the very edge of consciousness. "And just for the record...I'm officially giving you permission...to call me Ever."

"I would've called you Ever anyway," Elfman admitted, sniffing loudly again.

Evergreen gave a meek scoff. "Like I would have let you...idiot. Now, go find us...some help."

One of Elfman's alligator tears plopped on Evergreen's cheek as the depths of unconsciousness dragged her under. Elfman pulled himself together and stumbled off towards the tangle of shrieking jungle, hoping he was going in the right direction. As a man, he had to find somewhere safe for Evergreen. Not just as a man, but as a member of Fairy Tail. He must protect his nakama. He must protect his partner.

He must protect the girl he was sort of starting to like.

* * *

**Evergreen and Elfman - End **


	8. Mirajane and Fried

_**Summary:** When Fried looses a bet with Bixlow, he finds himself in a very uncomfortable position. It's no secret amongst the Raijinshuu that he is hopelessly falling for the lovely barmaid of Fairy Tail, but Fried is ensnared in a limbo of low confidence when it comes to Mirajane. He seeks help from others, and eventually formulates what he believes to be a perfect date. There's only one problem: he can't seem to muster the courage to actually ask her!_

_*About the name discrepancy between Freed and Fried...well, I go by what it says on the list of characters, except with the whole "Ur" and "Ultear" thing. I think it should be Urtear...but let's not get into that now. The list of characters says "Fried" so I'm going with that. Sorry for those of you who think it should be Freed. Which is it? The world may never know._

_And...yeah, I still don't own Fairy Tail. Mashima Hiro does._

* * *

**Mirajane and Fried**

**by: SmurfLuvsCookies**

No one saw this coming.

Not even Charle, who gets visions into the future. Not even Cana, who almost always seems to be the person who starts the "who's going to date who" polls. Mirajane didn't see this coming, and neither did Lisanna. Fried didn't see it coming, either. The only person who saw it coming was Bixlow, and he flaunted that fact by grinning devilishly at everyone else's utter bewilderment.

"Wh-what did you say?" Lisanna squeaked, almost inaudibly. Elfman cleared his throat and shuffled from side to side, squirming under the pressure of a thousand eyes trained on him. Evergreen, who had made the announcement in the first place, placed her hands on her hips and repeated the words that would mean certain doom for Fried.

"Elfman and I are dating."

Bixlow turned to Fried and his grin became even wider, if that was possible. Fried stood stock-still, his pupils as tiny as pinpricks. He felt his whole world collapsing around him. When he'd made that bet with Bixlow three weeks ago, after Elfman had chosen Evergreen for his partner, he honestly hadn't considered the fact that he would lose. The moment played like a film in his mind, a movie that he was sure would haunt him until the end of time.

_As he and Bixlow observed Evergreen and Elfman bickering over something (battle strategy, they presumed), Bixlow suddenly turned to Fried and said, "I bet that by the end of the exams, they're gonna start goin' out."_

_"Never," Fried said, after a moment of consideration. The very thought of two such creatures breeding was impossible. Besides, Cana was always the first to spot possible relationships, and she almost always won the polls. That's how she made a good portion of her money, rather than taking jobs like a normal guild member. "That would never happen. I can't even fathom the idea."_

_"It could happen," Bixlow disagreed. "Look, I'll make you a bet - "_

_" - I don't gamble."_

_"I'll make it worth your while, just hear me out," Bixlow continued, exasperated as always with his companion's strict set of morals. "If they don't start goin' out by the time the S-Class exams are over, I'll be your personal servant for a whole month."_

_"On what universe would I want something like that?" Fried objected. "You'd just make your 'babies' do everything anyway. It's not a punishment for losing the bet, nor is it of any advantage to me."_

_"Fine, then what do you want?"_

_"I don't want to bet."_

_"C'mon, man! Live a little! You can make me do anything you want to!" Bixlow roared, a bit boisterously. The guildmembers around them gave them curious looks, including Mirajane's little sister, Lisanna. Face burning, Fried gave Bixlow a glare that made him shut his mouth. "Fine, I'll play your little game," he hissed. "If you lose the bet, you can't say one word for an entire week!"_

_Bixlow's smile faltered for a moment, but it quickly perked back up. "Deal," he said. "If Evergreen and Elfman don't start dating after the exams, I won't say anything for a week. But if they do, then you have to ask your pretty little lady out on a date."_

_Fried blinked, startled, and glanced at Mirajane, who was wiping the counters. She was looking as lovely as ever, her kind blue eyes dancing with happiness, her gentle smile forever lighting up the room. He turned back to Bixlow, who, he was surprised to see, was also watching Mira. Fried had told none of the Raijinshuu about the strange, warm emotions that were rooted inside of him after the festival, but he supposed that the three of them had been a team for so long there was no hiding anything anymore._

_"Yup," Bixlow sighed, still gazing dreamily at Mirajane. "She's a keeper. Curves in all the right places, legs up to her chin - " he caught Fried's expression and quickly switched gears before he was assaulted. "But you still haven't made your move. It's perplexing."_

_Fried raised his eyebrows at Bixlow using such a sophisticated word, then sighed when he realized that his partner expected an answer to the unspoken question. "I just don't know how to ask her, okay?" he admitted. "And there's no telling if she'll say yes or not. I'm perfectly content with the way things are."_

_"Stalking her from afar?" Bixlow snorted. "Look, I don't blame you. Mirajane's smoking hot, and you're...you. All you need is a little push, and I'm giving it to you."_

_"Whatever," Fried sighed, tired of the conversation and of Bixlow's crude remarks about Mirajane's physique. That wasn't even the reason he liked her. He respected her for beating him, and for saving him at the same time. It blew his mind that she still maintained her constant aura of warmth and gentleness towards everyone in Fairy Tail, even the Raijinshuu. "It's not going to happen because of a stupid bet, though. Evergreen and Elfman are not going to get together, not now, not ever."_

Oh, cruel irony.

As the shocked silence of the guild slowly restarted into inquisitive murmurs, Fried narrowed his eyes at Bixlow's unwavering Chesire grin. "What'd I tell you?" he taunted. "A bet is a bet, Fried. I won, you lost. Now, you have to ask pretty little Mirajane on a date." Fried stalked off as Bixlow's babies chimed in with a chorus of "A bet's a bet!" and "On a date! Ask her on a date!" Their words echoed in his head, until he wanted nothing more than to vomit. He glanced at Mira from the corner of his eye; she looked equally devastated, but he was certain it was because of the potential offspring derived from her younger brother's relationship with Evergreen and not because she had made a foolish bet with one of her conniving teammates. Fried dropped his head in his hands. _What do I do now_?

"Fried?" A sweet voice said, followed by a ephemeral touch as soft and fleeting as the fluttering of a moth's wing. Fried's pulse beat faster as Mirajane peered at him earnestly, trying to catch a glimpse of his face between the gaps in his fingers. "Is something wrong?"

_Nothing could be more wrong_, he thought to himself, cursing the feel of Bixlow's gaze burning holes in his back. He unearthed himself and was hit with the entirety of Mira's blue eyes, as open and airy as the sky. He cleared his throat and, consciously glancing behind him at Bixlow, said to her, "No, nothing's wrong...I was just wondering if you - " He stopped and pulled at the collar of his shirt, squirming in his seat. "If you...could get me a drink?"

Mira blinked, and smiled. "Sure. Do you want the usual?"

Fried mutely nodded and watched her swish away, knocking his head on the bar. There was a screech as Bixlow pulled up a seat beside him, shaking with laughter. Fried scowled from his vantage point on the counter. "Shut up."

Bixlow tipped his head back and roared with laughter. "That was pitiful! You were so close too, and then you just chickened out!" Echoes of his failure rang in Fried's ears as Bixlow's dolls sang, "Pitiful!" and "So close!" and "Chicken, chicken!"

"I'll ask her next time, okay?" Fried hissed, irritation surfacing beneath his misery.

"Ask me what?" Mira set the drinks in front of him and Bixlow, resting her elbows on the bar in anticipation for Fried's question. Bixlow waited with amusement, poising the rim of his cup before his lips. Fried tapped his fingernail on the glass of his own beverage, looking down into the rippling contents. How hard could it be?

"If you...I mean...what your favorite food is," Fried hastily gushed, nodding vigorously. "Yeah, what's your favorite food, Mirajane?"

"My favorite...food?" Mira paused, and considered the question. "Hmm...seafood ravioli. Elfman makes the best." She narrowed her eyes in her brother's direction, where he was chatting with Evergreen and a few others. "But he'll probably make it for Evergreen now, instead of me."

Fried raised his eyebrows. "Are you jealous of Evergreen?" he blurted, mentally gagging soon afterward when it came out the wrong way. Bixlow snorted into his cup, spewing liquid all over himself. Mirajane staggered back, her eyes widening. "Of course I'm not jealous of Evergreen! I'm happy for my little brother," she said, crossing her arms over her chest in a defensive manner. "It's just odd seeing him with someone like Evergreen, that's all."

Despite Fried's lingering comrade affection for Evergreen, he didn't take offense to what Mirajane said, nor the way she said it. He knew exactly how Evergreen could be, and he couldn't blame Mira for being a bit leery of her affair with Elfman. Before he could say anything, Mirajane had stomped away to fill someone's order, leaving Fried more dejected than ever. That did not go well at all.

"You're off to a bad start," Bixlow admitted, his dolls chiming agreements. He gave Fried a wolfish grin and slapped him on the back, none too gently. "But don't worry, you'll get her eventually."

"Are you talking about my sister?" Lisanna said in voice strikingly similar to Mirajane's. She flopped down in a seat next to Bixlow, tilting her head so she could get a good look at the brooding runes mage. "Because if you are, I could help you. Give you some advice and stuff."

Fried's prospects brightened considerably. "Really?"

"Yeah, sure," Lisanna agreed. "I think you two would make a good couple. She talks about you all the time."

"She does?" Bixlow and Fried said simultaneously.

Lisanna nodded. "Yeah. I actually think she's waiting for you to ask her out. Normally she would have done it by now, but she doesn't know if you like her or not. And you're so new to the guild..."

"She's worried about him _not_ liking her?" Bixlow chortled, jerking a thumb at Fried. "Shouldn't it be the other way around? I mean, really, she's way out of his league!"

"Thank you for your encouragement," Fried deadpanned.

"Just tellin' it how it is."

"I think you have a chance, Fried," Lisanna interjected. "You just have to tell her how you feel. I know it might be hard, since my sister is _Mirajane_ after all, but you just have to gather all your courage and tell her."

Lisanna's testimony, while meant to be cheerful, did little to inspire Fried. Lisanna seemed to sense this, and she quickly changed tactics. "Don't worry, I'll tell you everything you need. She won't have a reason to say no."

_/T.T\_

"Lisanna, what is going on?" Mirajane demanded as she and her little sister walked home from the guild. Lisanna had been spending an awful lot of time with the Raijinshuu, particularly Fried and Bixlow. Under normal circumstances it would have simply spiked Mira's curiosity, but now she was more than intrigued. Actually, she was a bit concerned. It seemed that, with Elfman and Evergreen's relationship and her own infatuation with Fried, the Take Over siblings were falling head-over-heels for the Raijinshuu.

And the only available Raijinshuu member left was Bixlow.

Perverted, tongue-wagging, loud-mouthed Bixlow. As much as Mirajane loved everyone in Fairy Tail, the thought of her little sister dating such a person was nearly unbearable. Almost as horrible as the image of Elfman and Evergreen's offspring, forever printed on the back of her eyelids. She suppressed a shudder.

"What do you mean?" Lisanna asked, blinking at Mirajane with innocent eyes. Her little sister could put up a good act, but Mirajane wasn't going to fall for it. Those big blues weren't going to get her this time.

"I mean, you and the Raijinshuu. You've been spending a lot of time with them all week."

Lisanna shook her head, giving her sister a gentle scoff. "Mira! The Raijinshuu are part of Fairy Tail too, you know. There's nothing wrong with spending time with your nakama."

"Of course there isn't!" Mirajane hastily agreed. "I just...it's so sudden...and with Evergreen and Elfman..."

"I just want to get to know the Raijinshuu better, that's all," Lisanna laughed. "Evergreen's actually pretty cool once you get to know her, so I figured her team might be as well. It turns out I was right."

Mirajane screeched to a halt and nearly burst into tears right on the spot. "Oh no! You're in love with Bixlow!"

"What?" Lisanna exclaimed, a look of complete and utter bafflement on her face. "Where on earth did you get that ridiculous idea?"

"It just stands to reason that you would be, since Evergreen and Elfman are a thing now and I - I - " Mirajane trailed off, wiping her eyes and hiccuping. Lisanna raised her eyebrows at her sister. "You what?" she inquired.

"I...like Fried," Mirajane mumbled, scooting the dirt around with her foot. Then hysteria clawed it's way up her throat, and she burst into a new flood of tears. "Why? Why Bixlow?"

Lisanna shuffled over to Mira with a nervous laugh. "You don't have to worry about that, Mira. Bixlow and I...aren't...we don't...no. No, no, no, that's not ever going to happen. I promise."

"That's what we said about Evergreen and Elfman!" Mira cried, shaking her head.

"I _assure_ you that it's not the same thing," Lisanna said, patting her sister's back. "Trust me."

Mirajane mutely nodded, wiping tears from her eyes with the back of her wrist. Lisanna gave a sly smile and looped her arm around her sister's, starting forward towards home again. "You know, Mira, if you like Fried you should ask him out. I think he really likes you."

"You say that about everybody," Mirajane said, nudging Lisanna playfully.

"Only because it's true!" Lisanna giggled. "But, seriously, you're all he talks about. He's definitely not going to reject you. If you don't believe me, just ask Bixlow - or Evergreen!" she added quickly, before her sister started crying again.

Mirajane blinked, her eyes still shining. "But if he likes me, then why hasn't he asked me out yet?"

"Because you're _you_! He's intimidated because you're so beautiful, Mira," Lisanna insisted. Mirajane rolled her eyes at this, because it was so ridiculous. Fried being intimidated at all was just impossible. He was so courageous and brave, and courteous and chivalrous. Mirajane blushed when she imagined him sitting at his table, discussing Raijinshuu things with his teammates. Now that she thought about it, he had been switching tables ever so discreetly, trading ones in the shadowed corners of the room in favor of tables close to the stage or bar stools near where Mirajane worked.

She glanced shyly at her sister, who was whistling a tune under her breath and tugging her along the street. She smiled, relishing in the warmth of Lisanna's arm as it brushed against her own. It was nice to look beside her and realize that this was not a vision; it was real. Lisanna was real, and she would never be a memory or a vision again.

Her thoughts turned back to Fried, who was surely at home. Mirajane was always the last to leave the guild, besides the master and occasionally Erza or Jellal. She sighed into the sky, dyed pink and lavender by the setting sun. The bright clouds reminded her of cotton candy. "Do you really think I should do it?" she finally inquired, glancing back at her sister.

Lisanna smiled, her eyes the brilliant blue that the sky was supposed to be. "You should! There's no way that Fried would say no. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about."

Mirajane nodded, and attempted a smile before sinking back into her nervous thoughts with a small frown.

_/T.T\_

Fried tapped the eraser of the pencil against his chin, thoughtfully gazing down at the plans before him. Lisanna read them over his shoulder, nodding and muttering faint sounds of approval as her eyes made their way down the list. "This is perfect," she declared, straightening and smiling down at Fried. "Mirajane is going to love it. Now all you have to do is ask her."

"I dunno," Bixlow disagreed, frowning at the list. "Don't you think it's a bit too...planned? It is a date after all; aren't they supposed to be spontaneous or whatever?"

Lisanna placed her hands on her hips. "Bixlow, have you even ever _been_ on a date?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," he snorted, the dolls chuckling behind him.

Lisanna rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Fried, who was frowning at the paper. "I do believe it is a bit too coordinated, but I suppose it's not that big of a deal," he said. "It's a first date, so I need everything to go just as planned. I'll ask her tomorrow if she wants to - "

"Fried?" Mirajane came to their table, brandishing drinks. She shuffled her feet, glancing nervously at her sister. "Um, am I interrupting something?"

The runes mage in question blinked. "No, you're not interrupting anything. Is something wrong?"

"No, I was just wondering if..." she trailed off, fiddling with the bracelet on her wrist. "If you would like to come to dinner with me tonight?"

"T-tonight?" Fried said, glancing down at his list.

Mirajane nodded. "It's okay if you're not available, I was just wondering - "

"No, no, I'm free tonight," Fried assured, flashing Mirajane a smile. "What time?"

"Would you mind picking me up from the guild at seven?"

"Sure, I'll be here."

Mirajane smiled and skipped away, presumably to share the good news with Cana, who was anxiously craning her neck to get a better look at them from the bar. Lisanna and Bixlow glanced at each other, because this was certainly not included in the plan Fried had constructed. As they watched, he turned around in his seat, grabbed the paper in both hands, and ripped it in half. "It looks like I'm winging it," he said, looking at the pale paper hollowly. Lisanna patted his shoulder consolingly.

"I'm sure you'll do fine," she encouraged, tagging a mental _maybe_ to that statement. Bixlow looked as if he was trying not to spew his drink in laughter again. Fried was oblivious to all of it, uncertain as to whether he should be distressed because his plans were ruined, or if he should be thrilled because Mirajane had actually asked him out on a date.

He decided to go with the latter and grinned until his cheeks ached, causing both Bixlow and Lisanna to fret over his mental stability.

_/T.T\_

Notice of Fried and Mira's date spread like wildfire throughout the guild, and people left early just so Mirajane wouldn't have to stay. Fried was strolling towards the gates as Mirajane was locking up the dining hall, Master Makarov the only one left inside the lonely guild. He said he would probably go out the back entrance when he was done, and wished her luck on her date.

"Good evening," he greeted, offering her his arm. Mirajane blushed and looped it though her own. It was like granite under the fabric of his clothes, sturdy and steadying. Warm, too, in the bitter autumn chill.

"Where are we going?" she inquired, blinking up at Fried's dark silhouette. Although she had been the one to ask him out (after many hours of mental preparation), she had fled the scene too quickly to establish where they were going to eat. She assumed that either Fried would think of somewhere, or that they would discuss it on the way.

"My house. I thought I'd cook something. That's why I was gone this afternoon; to buy ingredients," Fried explained. He chuckled as an afterthought. "Bixlow and I bunk together, so I had to kick him out of the house. He's staying with Evergreen until further notice."

"Evergreen?" Mirajane said, surprised.

"Yes. You shouldn't worry though, they've never had any sexual relations. Your brother has no reason to be upset or jealous. I'll vouch for them, if you'd like," Fried continued as they turned right.

Mirajane flushed. "Oh! No, I wasn't trying to imply that they would - that Evergreen would cheat on Elfman. I was just surprised that he's staying with her in Fairy Hills, that's all. It's not often that they get male visitors."

"I believe it's normally off-limits for us to enter Fairy Hills, but the master made an exception this time and allowed it after the girls said they didn't mind. Bixlow would stay with someone else, but..." he trailed off, frowning into the distance. "We've been in Fairy Tail for so long, but it's like we're new. We don't know anyone. If Bixlow had asked to stay with Natsu or Gray, for example, it would have been too awkward."

"You three are pretty close, aren't you?" Mirajane sighed. "It seems that way. I'm sure that all three of you were hurt when Laxus was expelled. I remember when I thought Lisanna had died...I knew things would never be the same. But my nakama in Fairy Tail helped me through it, and so did Elfman. Your nakama will help you too, even if they don't know you very well right now."

Fried smiled, and patted her hand on his arm. "You already are," he said. Before Mirajane could stutter a reply, he gestured forward. "We're here. This is my house." It was a small building, only a tiny bit bigger than Lucy's apartment, but it looked homey enough. There was a steady glow from the light on the porch, and the door was painted a lovely red color. Fried unlocked it and opened it for her, letting her pass through the threshold first. Mirajane found herself in a tidy living space with simple, practical furniture and a warm fire dancing in the small fireplace. Rapiers decorated the mantle, and sabers crossed in preparation for battle were hooked to the wall. There were books and papers jumbled together on a table in the corner of the room. By the looks of the print, it had something to do with runes.

Bixlow's presence was there too. There was helmet polish on the mantle next to the rapier, and what Mirajane supposed were extra dolls piled in the corner. Glasses folded neatly on the table and a hairbrush lying nonchalantly next to the helmet polish signified that Evergreen visited often.

Fried took Mira's coat and threw it over the couch, in absence of a coat hanger. "Would you like something to drink?" he asked, heading into the kitchen.

"Yes, please," Mira called. "A water's fine." As she sat down, still looking about the room, she heard something pouring into a cup and the sound of pots and pans clanking, then the click of a dial as Fried turned to stove on. Curiously, she got up and traveled into the kitchen where Fried was rolling up his sleeves and yanking an apron over his head. Mirajane giggled at the rather cheesy insignia, "Kiss the Cook." Fried frowned and followed her eyes, then blushed when he saw the lettering.

"Bixlow does all of the cooking," he admitted, handing her the glass of water as she occupied a space on the counter. "This is his apron, not mine."

"Bixlow _cooks_?" Mirajane repeated, her eyes widening in disbelief.

"Yes, he's quite good at it, actually. Simple stuff, not elegant meals like seafood ravioli," Fried added, holding up a package of fresh shrimp. Mirajane gasped in delight, taking it from his hands.

"You're making seafood ravioli...for me?" she said, glancing up from the label to look at Fried as he peered into the pot of water that had yet to start boiling.

He shrugged. "It is your favorite food, is it not?"

"It is...I've never had anyone but Elfman make it for me, though," she said, placing the package on the counter.

"Would you like me to make something else? I can."

"No! Oh, no, I was just...touched," Mirajane said with a smile. "It's very sweet of you to make this for me."

Fried laughed. "Don't get your hopes up too much. It's my first time making it and...well, like I said, Bixlow's the chef."

"I can help," Mirajane offered, hopping off the counter and grinning at the prospect of cooking with someone again. She hadn't really cooked outside of the guild, and it wasn't the same as cooking in a normal kitchen with another person. She usually had the aid of magic too, so this would be an interesting feat.

As they got deeper and deeper into the process of making seafood ravioli, though, it became painfully evident that Fried had no idea how to prepare such a dish. In fact, he didn't know much about cooking at all. Mirajane suspected that if he didn't live with Bixlow, he would be the kind of person who ordered takeout every night. Still, it was an enjoyable experience, even if Fried didn't have Elfman's expertise. It was actually sort of fun to help him out with it, although Mirajane did have to trail behind him like a shadow in order to tweak and correct his mistakes. She was surprised that he wasn't fed up with it, even if she was trying to be discreet and not irritating. Perhaps it was because she had to put her arms around him a lot, or touch his hand; but she wasn't complaining about that either, to be honest.

"I'll be right back," Mirajane said, washing her hands. "Where's your bathroom?"

Fried gave her directions and Mirajane closed the door behind her with a sigh. She checked in the mirror, fixing her drooping hair and adjusting her makeup. She dusted flour off her dress and, almost as an afterthought, checked her breath to make sure it didn't smell bad. Then again, she was sure it wouldn't matter after they ate the ravioli.

Mira straightened her back and looked at herself in the mirror, observing as her reflection blinked back at her. Fried had said that Bixlow was staying with Evergreen until further notice...what exactly did that mean? Until nine? Ten? All night long? Mirajane desperately wanted to know before her thoughts got the best of her, but she knew it would be wrong to ask.

Suddenly, she wrinkled her nose. What was that _smell_? She cautiously looked around the bathroom, but it seemed fairly clean like the rest of the house. It wasn't coming from in there...

"The ravioli!" Mirajane said to herself, bursting from the bathroom and rushing down the hall. The kitchen was thick with smoke as Fried juggled pots and pans and frantically twisted dials on the stove, trying to keep the ravioli from burning more than it already was. Mirajane quickly opened all the windows in the kitchen and in the living room, where the acrid odor was beginning to waft. She ran back into the kitchen and helped Fried with the ruined pasta, throwing it in the sink and dousing it with cold water. By the looks of the uproarious flames she'd witnessed when she walked in, the ravioli was beyond saving anyway.

Fried gazed at her through the smoky air in the kitchen, obviously miserable down to his core. The expression on his face was so dejected, and that, paired with the "Kiss the Cook" apron and the useless oven mitts that adorned his hands, was enough to send Mirajane into peals of laughter. He gave her a look somewhere between a pout and a scowl, waiting for her to finish.

"I-I'm sorry, Fried," she wheezed, clutching a stitch in her side. "I'm not laughing at you..."

"Yes, you are," Fried denied.

"But not in a mean way," Mirajane teased. She looked at the blackened pans in the sink, nudging the gelatinous mush inside with a spatula. "What did you do? I've never seen food burn this quickly."

"I thought I could get it to cook faster..." Fried winced, rubbing the back of his neck.

"The cooking mistake of the century." Mira sighed and rested against the counter, smiling endearingly at Fried's dismayed manner. "Don't worry," she said. "I'm not too terribly disappointed. This was all still fun. We can go get something else to eat, if you want."

"It's not okay, though," Fried sighed, slapping his oven mitts on the counter. "Tonight was supposed to be perfect; I had it all planned out and everything. Well, that was before you asked me...after that, it as all guesswork, but - "

"Wait, you were planning on asking me out?" Mirajane interrupted, pointing to herself and raising her eyebrows.

Fried nodded. "Yes, but you beat me to the punch."

"It_ is_ okay," Mirajane said, pushing herself off the counter. "Even though we burned the ravioli, I'm still having a good time. Perfect is overrated; I'd rather you just wing it. It's definitely more interesting that way."

"Really?"

"Yes, really," Mirajane agreed, taking a step closer.

Fried as oblivious. "So, what would you like to do now? There's a new restaurant in town, if you want to go there. I heard it's really good. It might be a tad late though, for that...and I'm not sure if you need reservations..."

"I'm not hungry anymore," Mirajane said, shaking her head and taking another step.

"You're not?" Fried said, blinking down at her. She was close enough that she could see that the tips of his green hair was slightly scorched, and that he had flour on his bridge of his nose. "Then what do you want to do?"

Mirajane considered this, then fiddled with the strap on his apron. She grinned, and almost laughed when she thought of the words she was going to say next. "Kiss the cook." She glanced up, delighted to find that Fried's entire face had gone completely red, all the way to the tips of his ears. It was in awful contrast to his green hair, which, in all honesty, made it even more endearing.

She stood on her toes and wrapped her arms around Fried's neck, watching as a blush so scarlet it was _glowing_ crept up to his ears. She couldn't help but laugh as she pressed her mouth against his, relishing in the touch she had been yearning for since...she couldn't even remember. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore, except for the press of his hands on her back, crushing her body forward, the movement of his mouth with hers and the warmth that radiated from solid build of his chest. Nothing else mattered anymore, not even the smoldering ravioli in the sink or the fact that the windows were open and the temperature in the room was plummeting. They were together, together in a way that Mirajane hadn't even begun to imagine could be completely possible.

Nothing else mattered.

* * *

**Mirajane and Fried - End**


	9. Lisanna and Bixlow

**_Summary: _**_Lisanna is sick and tired of being the fifth wheel on her older siblings' double dates. When she set them up with the Raijinshuu members, she didn't realize just how much she would be left out of the equation. But Lisanna isn't the only one suffering from Fifth Wheel Syndrome._

_*Lisanna and Bixlow...a couple of my own creation. It occurred to me that the Take Over siblings and the Raijinshuu were pairing up, and I kind of played with it in my MirajanexFried story. I'm surprised it got such good feedback. I was actually expecting some flames, with the looming LisannaxNatsuxLucy debate going around (personally, I think it should be LucyxNatsu, but that's just me). But I got some requests for it, so I figured I might was well write a story. **If you don't like the pairing, you don't have to read it. Just don't insult my work simply because you don't like the pairing**. _

_I don't own Fairy Tail. You think I can draw that good? Mashima Hiro owns Fairy Tail._

* * *

**Lisanna and Bixlow**

**By: SmurfLuvsCookies**

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" Mirajane blinked at her younger sister imploringly, blue eyes bright with hope. Elfman stood behind her, eyebrows furrowed in concern. It wasn't often that Lisanna refused an outing, but this time she sat criss-cross on the bed with a wide grin plastered to her face, declining their offer to take her to the Annual Fiore Fair. They always went this time of year, when the fair came to Magnolia, but Lisanna said she didn't feel like going this time. She said she wasn't sick, she wasn't depressed, and she wasn't mad at them; she just didn't feel like going.

The truth was that Lisanna knew Fried and Evergreen would inevitably accompany them to the fair. She liked Fried and Evergreen, and she didn't have a problem with them dating her older siblings; in fact, she was the one who set them up! What she hadn't anticipated was the fact that the two Raijinshuu members would attend every single event along with the Take Over siblings. After the last movie they went to, when Elfman and Evergreen started making out on one side of her and Fried and Mirajane held hands in the popcorn on the other side, she decided that she was exasperated with being the fifth wheel. She was tired of intruding on their dates.

But she hadn't realized just how often they went out. At least three nights a week she stayed home while Mirajane and Elfman disappeared somewhere or another with their respective partners. At least three nights a week she was alone and miserable, awaiting for their return. And at least three nights a week she had to lie with a smile on her face and make up an errand she didn't complete, or say that she had a relaxing time alone in their big empty house.

Well, no more. Lisanna didn't know why she hadn't thought of it before: she could go to the guild while Mirajane and Elfman were gone! There was no way she'd be lonely there, and she wouldn't be stuck at home doing nothing.

So as soon as her siblings took their leave, she grabbed her bag and walked to the guild, relishing the freedom she felt along Magnolia's night-life streets. They were completely different from the daytime streets. It was a different crowd, different sights, different activities. Young couples and party-goers replaced scores of stuffy business people and weary travelers. Instead of colorful daytime houses and dusty cobblestone streets lit by the sun, everything was dyed black and white by the moon and glowing with neon signs. In the place of street-side dancers and human robots, there were fire jugglers and fortune tellers. It was a completely different world, transformed by the setting of the sun. Lisanna loved it.

The guild was dark and devoid of life when she arrived. She smacked her forehead, cursing herself for her stupidity. In the Edolas world, the guild was always full because everyone was always on the run. But of course the Fairy Tail members here weren't in the guild twenty-four/seven; they had lives outside of trying to survive.

She sighed and turned on her heel, back the way she had come. But she didn't want to go back home. It was too early to retreat into the empty house, where echoes replaced the warm voices of her brother and sister. She was too lonely there, and Lisanna was tired of being alone. _So where should I go?_ she thought restlessly, kicking a stone with her foot. _There might be someone at Fairy Hills...Levy...no, wait, what about Gajeel? That would be awkward...there's Erza and...Jellal, of course, wouldn't want to intrude on them...oh, what about...no, Juvia and Gray might be on a date or something_... Lisanna sighed. Natsu came to mind, but he would most likely be with Lucy. She definitely didn't want to barge in on them. That would be tremendously awkward, even if she and Natsu had both moved on. Lucy didn't seem like the jealous type either, but a girl does crazy things when her boyfriend's on the line. _Well, what now?_

Lisanna came to an abrupt halt and placed a hand over her eyes, turning around in circles until she was so dizzy she had to stop. She uncovered her eyes and blinked until something came into view: a grocery store. She shrugged and began walking towards it. Anything, even a grocery store, was better than nothing. Besides, she needed food stuffs for the guild anyway. Might was well save Mirajane a trip.

She stopped and sighed when she came to the doors. _Really, this is what my life has been reduced to?_ she thought to herself. _Grocery shopping on a Friday night because I have nothing else to do?_ Shaking her head to rid it of the self-pity, she grabbed a shopping cart and wheeled it inside.

The doors opened, and she accidentally ran into somebody. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" she cried, kneeling on the ground to collect the grocery bags that fell from the person's hands. "Let me ge that for you - "

"Nah, don't worry about it." A wooden tiki doll whizzed through the air and scooped up the bag, much to Lisanna's surprise. She looked up to see Bixlow of all people, surrounded by his dolls who each bore the heavy weight of a bag. He gazed down at her with his arms crossed and his tongue hanging out, arms completely bare of groceries now. "You do need to watch where you're goin' though," he added, offering a hand.

Lisanna took his hand and let him help her off the ground. "What are you doing here?" she blurted. Bixlow was not someone she would have thought to be at a grocery store. It was an odd, odd sight.

"I gotta eat too, believe it or not," he said, the dolls concurring with "He's only human" and "Yup, yup, gotta eat."

"It's just hard for me to picture you...shopping."

"That's what stores are here for," Bixlow said, jerking a thumb at the door. "Shopping."

"I know," Lisanna snapped. "I guess I didn't think you'd care if you were out of food."

"Then I'd starve. I'd care if I starved."

Lisanna huffed, pinching the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger. "Just...just forget it. Forget I said anything about it." She turned on her heel and stormed away from the store, leaving Bixlow and the abandoned cart behind. Then she stopped in the middle of the street, because she had no idea where she was going. She did not want to go back home, but there was no where else _to_ go.

Someone tapped on her shoulder. "You'll get run over if you just stand in the street like an idiot," Bixlow warned, walking past her with the grocery bags in hand and his dolls following him in a straight line. "Weren't you goin' to the store?"

"No," Lisanna sighed. "I don't know where I'm going. I was just going to kill some time."

"...At a grocery store?"

"Yeah. Please, spare me the ridiculing. I know it's sad."

"It is," Bixlow agreed, nodding his head. "Very, very sad."

Lisanna narrowed her eyes. "Well, I'm not the only one who's in a pitiful situation. It's eleven o'clock on a Friday night, and you're grocery shopping while your teammates are out on a double date. I don't see how your predicament is any different than mine."

"I'm not wanderin' around like a lost puppy," Bixlow disagreed.

"No, but you're running errands because you evidently have nothing better to do."

Bixlow glared at her from behind his visor. "Nobody likes a know-it-all, babe."

"Natsu did always say I was impossible to win an argument against," Lisanna said thoughtfully.

"Why don't you go hit up the Salamander?" Bixlow suggested, turning the corner spontaneously.

"He's probably at the fair with Lucy." It occurred to Lisanna that they were probably going to Bixlow's house, so he could drop off the groceries. She wasn't sure if offering her ideas for something to do was his way of trying to get rid of her, but she didn't really care. Bixlow was someone to talk to at the moment, and she didn't want to go home yet. She'd go home when they got to his house.

"Right, the Cosplay Queen," Bixlow said. There was a pause as he considered something. "Why aren't you at the fair?"

Lisanna sighed. "It's a long story."

"I got time. Half a mile to my place."

Lisanna reluctantly told her story, revealing her frustration with the double dates, the feeling of being left out (which Bixlow promptly diagnosed as Third Wheel Syndrome - or Fifth Wheel Syndrome, in her case), her irritation at not being able to spend time with her family anymore, and even the sinking loneliness she'd been enduring recently. Bixlow was surprisingly easy to talk to; he didn't say much, though when he did comment it was often something crude or snarky. But Lisanna didn't mind. Having someone to talk to was enough for her.

"That sucks for you," Bixlow remarked after she was done with her story. He turned to a small house on the corner, walking up the driveway with the grocery bags in hand. One of his dolls (Peppe, Lisanna believed) grabbed the keys from his belt and unlocked the door, holding it open for him. Lisanna was about to leave, but Bixlow continued, standing outside his door and handing off the grocery bags to his dolls. "But I got a way for you to fix it, if you wanna hear it."

"Shoot," Lisanna permitted.

"You're the one who hooked all of 'em up, right?" Bixlow said. "Seems to me that if you can do that, you can split 'em up too. You do that, and all your problems are solved."

Lisanna reeled. "I could never do that! They're all in love, and they're all happy! I'm not going to ruin that for them!"

"Why not? You're unhappy, so you don't get anything out of it, right?"

"Bixlow!" Lisanna snapped, clenching her fists. She'd never thought Bixlow the kindest Fairy Tail member, but she didn't think that he would be so maniacal and downright cruel! She couldn't believe he thought she would be that way either. "I am not going to do that. It's _wrong_."

"How's it wrong? You gotta help yourself before you can help others," Bixlow said.

"That's not true! I'd still be unhappy if Mira and Elfman were!"

"Would you? At least then they'd be suffering too."

"I don't want them to suffer! I'm happy if they're happy, okay?"

Bixlow _hmph_ed. "Whatever. That's just a load of bull."

"It's not - " Lisanna began. Then she froze and raised her eyebrows, a knowing grin tugging at the edges of her mouth. "Bixlow...why are you so persistent? It's not like arguing with me is any help to you."

Bixlow was silent.

"Don't tell me," Lisanna continued. "You're also suffering from...what did you call it? Fifth Wheel Syndrome?"

"Psh!" Bixlow dismissed, waving a hand. But he couldn't come up with a more valid argument.

"You are! You miss Evergreen and Fried!" Lisanna cried triumphantly.

" 'Miss' is a strong word. I'm tired of it bein' all quiet all the time. It's boring," Bixlow admitted, pursing his lips in defeat.

"Tell me about it," Lisanna sighed, hugging herself. It was getting pretty late; Mirajane and Elfman were on their way home, if not home already. They were probably worried about her. And it was getting cold.

"You probably gotta get back to your place," Bixlow said, stepping inside his house.

"Yeah." Lisanna wrinkled her nose. "Hey, Bixlow...maybe next time Fried and Mirajane and Elfman and Evergreen go on a double date...do you want to go do something with me? That way we're not both so bored and lonely?"

Bixlow considered this. "Yeah. Maybe."

Lisanna smiled. A maybe wasn't as good as a yes, but it was better than a no. She waved goodbye and began her journey home. Along the way she ran into Fried, who blinked in surprise when he saw her coming down his driveway. "Lisanna? What are you doing here?"

"I was talking to Bixlow," Lisanna said honestly. "How was the fair?"

"Fun. Mira likes rides," Fried answered, sighing at the thought. He, obviously, was not one who enjoyed a good rollercoaster. "She felt bad about leaving you home alone, and I think she's going to take you and Elfman to the fair in Clover next week. If you don't mind me asking...why were you talking to Bixlow?"

Lisanna gave a dismissive wave. "I ran into him at the store. I better get home before they start worrying about me. See you later, Fried!"

"Um...bye, Lisanna." Fried numbly waved goodbye as Lisanna transformed into a bird and launched herself into the starry sky. _Why would Lisanna talk to Bixlow...?_ he thought as he walked up the driveway. _Why would Bixlow talk to Lisanna? Bixlow doesn't really talk to anybody. This is strange. Very strange indeed_...

_/T.T\_

Bixlow sat in the guild, feet up on the table. The past week had been a good one, the first in a while; the past month had been so boring without the Raijinshuu. It seemed all they did anymore was "double date" (a term Bixlow was completely convinced was code for something naughty, though Fried said otherwise) and it was quite monotonous without them. Lisanna had been a huge help at relieving boredom lately, though. Whenever the other four went on dates, Lisanna and Bixlow would meet up somewhere (usually at the guild or at Bixlow's house, since they both knew the locations) and just hang out. Sometimes they went and did something, sometimes they stayed and talked. Bixlow found it rather awkward at first, but Lisanna was a peppy freak of nature; she could make anybody feel warm and welcome.

Today she had gone to the Annual Fiore Fair in Clover with her brother and sister. Bixlow wasn't entirely sure where Evergreen was, but he was sure that Fried had gone to some rune-book-festival-thing. Bixlow would've gone with him, but he didn't get runes. They were so freaking complicated.

Lisanna suddenly burst into the guild, looking outraged. Bixlow blinked, partially because she was supposed to be in Clover with Mira and Elfman, and partially because she rarely harbored any negative emotion past irritation. But as he watched, Lisanna made a bee-line to the bar and ordered a drink from Cana, who was tending it until Mirajane got back from the fair.

Cana asked Lisanna what was wrong, but Lisanna seemed to wave her off. She chugged her drink and slammed it on the counter, smacking her forehead down on the same cool surface in a similar fashion.

"Go on..." Pappa whispered, whirring around Bixlow's head.

"Talk to her..." Peppe suggested, spinning in the opposite direction. His babies couldn't speak of their own accord since they really had no consciousness, but they could draw thoughts from his mind and project them. They were like a built-in conscience, an unfortunate side-effect of the magic he used to control them.

"Yeah, talk to her..."

"Go on, do it..."

"I don't wanna," Bixlow pouted, though he knew his argument was futile. When his babies so persistently argued with him like this, it meant that his judgment was terribly wrong or that he wanted something more than he was admitting to himself. In this case, he figured it was probably the previous. There was no way he wanted Lisanna more than he was admitting.

"We know you do..." Puppu encouraged, a chorus of agreements following suit.

Bixlow gave a submissive sigh, hoisting himself off the chair with a groan. "Just shut up," he said. The dolls chattered in excitement, whizzing around in small circles before making a line formation and resting inanimately on the table like a totem poll. Bixlow made his way over to a glum Lisanna and pulled up a stool. She peeked under her arm to glare at him. "What?" she snapped.

"This seat got your name on it or somethin'?"

"No," Lisanna huffed. "But generally when people sit down next to another person, it means they want to talk. An activity that I, frankly, don't want to partake in right now. Why did you come over here?"

"Oh, big words," Bixlow teased, rolling his eyes under his visor. "I just came over her to get a drink, okay?" He waved a hand at Cana for emphasis, glancing at Lisanna out of her corner of his eye. His gaze flickered away when he caught her looking at him from her vantage point on the counter.

"Sorry," she finally muttered, resting her chin on her arms. "I'm just mad."

"You look pissed."

"I think I have a right to be pissed every once in a while!" Lisanna objected, as if Bixlow had somehow personally offended her. He blinked and shrugged compliantly, but Lisanna continued. "Mirajane and Elfman and I were supposed to go to the fair in Clover today, but Elfman wasn't feeling well so Evergreen offered to take care of him while Mira and I went to the fair."

Bixlow interrupted her by snorting; he felt bad for Lisanna's brother. Evergreen, though a woman, wasn't likely to have a nurturing bone in her body. If she did, he had yet to witness it under the cruel, merciless persona she constantly displayed.

Lisanna narrowed her eyes at him, and concluded her story after a long pause. "Mirajane and I were heading into Clover, and I stopped to go to the bathroom. I was gone for like three minutes, and when I came out Mirajane and Fried were talking! Fried was there for some rune convention, and Mira offered to stay and help him set up his stand. It took three hours! When we finally got to the fair, we went on a rollercoaster and some guy _puked_ on me! He got it all over my shorts!" Lisanna looked down at the black skirt she had evidently changed into. "We went back home, I changed, and then I came here. My entire day is ruined. I know it's not their fault, but..."

Bixlow nodded. "Yeah, I get it. I'd be mad too, if I were you. I woulda strangled the guy who puked on me."

"It wasn't his fault," Lisanna sighed. "It wasn't anyone's fault really. I'm acting like a child." She paused for a lengthy bit of time, and spared him a cross look. "I can't believe you got me to spill my guts. I was planning on sulking for a couple more hours."

"You feel better already? Jeez, you really _are_ a peppy freak of nature," Bixlow chuckled, taking a swing from his drink. Lisanna watched him, fingering the rim of her own beverage. She felt a sly smile tugging her mouth upward, and she turned in her seat so her knees were bumping his. "Bixlow," she said as innocently as possible. "Seriously, what's the real reason you came over here?"

Bixlow shot her an equally devious grin. "Like I said, I only came over here to get a drink."

_/T.T\_

"I'm sorry, Mirajane." Lisanna bowed her head to her surprised older sister respectively, Bixlow shuffling his feet behind her. She'd felt better after talking to him, but then guilt had wracked her until she was ready to burst into tears. She'd abandoned her older sister, practically throwing a hissy fit and stomping out the door while her brother was laying sick in bed. She really had been acting like a child, a fact which Bixlow had yet to deny. She begged him to come with her so she could apologize and, after much pleading, he finally agreed. She could tell he was starting to regret it now. "I'm sorry that I acted so disrespectfully and foolishly towards my older sister. Will you please forgive me?"

Mirajane gave her a blinding smile. "Of course, Lisanna. There's really nothing to forgive."

Lisanna gave her sister a hug and nudged her way into the house, where Elfman was laying limp on the couch and Evergreen perched next to him. She was no longer allowed to "nurse him back to health," as she had called it. To Lisanna and Mirajane it had looked more like violent attempt at playing hospital. They'd arrived to Elfman swaddled in layers of blankets, sweltering next to a humidifier and a thermometer in his mouth. Evergreen was discovered heating a rag in boiling water, and cooling another in ice. She'd been decked-out in scrubs and rubber gloves and a mask. Elfman demanded that she not touch him until he was healed, to which request she sulked gloomily on the arm of the couch, overlooking the correct methods Mirajane used to care for a sick person.

"I'm sorry, Elfman," Lisanna said, bowing once more. "I interrupted your nap by slamming the door and yelling, and I was also inconsiderate towards the fact that you were ill. Will you please forgive me?"

"Real men always forgive their little sisters!" Elfman roared, feeling much better now that he was receiving adequate attention.

Evergreen cleared her throat. "Aren't you forgetting someone?"

"I'm sorry, Evergreen," Lisanna said, giving her a smile. "I let you witness a disagreement amongst my siblings and me, and it probably made you feel very awkward. Will you please forgive me?"

"I suppose," Evergreen sniffed, tossing her mane of wavy hair.

Lisanna hugged her siblings while Evergreen inconspicuously beamed and Bixlow squirmed. "Uh, I guess I better go now..." he said, edging towards the door. For some reason, being in Lisanna's older siblings' presence made him extremely uncomfortable, a feeling he was not quite attuned to.

"No!" Mirajane said, grabbing his arm and pulling him into the room. "If Elfman is up to it, we should all go out to dinner! Fried said he'd be back soon, and he'd drop by here. How does that sound?"

"Yeah!" Elfman proclaimed, leaping off of the couch.

"Um, I dunno..." Bixlow said, glancing at Lisanna nervously. He had a very, very bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"You should," Lisanna encouraged, nudging his arm. "It'll be fun."

"Yes, like a triple date!" Mirajane cheered.

Lisanna and Bixlow glanced at each other, blushing. "Wait, Mira, I think you have the wrong idea - " Lisanna began, but Fried's arrival interrupted her. He looked around the crowded room, blinking in surprise when he saw that both of his fellow Raijinshuu were present already. "Am I late for something?" he inquired, looking to Mirajane for the answer.

She looped her arm through his, keeping Lisanna's hand in her's and dragging both of them out the door. "We were just going to dinner!" she said, not pausing to see if the other three were keeping up with her. Lisanna snagged Bixlow at last minute, and Evergreen and Elfman jogged to keep up with Mirajane's ridiculous pace. "It's going to be a triple date!"

"A triple date?" Fried exclaimed, looking back at Bixlow with eyebrows raised. "You're dating Lisanna now?"

Bixlow pointed to himself, then Lisanna, and back to himself again. "Wha - uh, no we're not - "

"Isn't it wonderful?" Mirajane cooed, continuing to tug them out the door. "The Raijinshuu and the Take Over siblings, all going out! I had mixed feelings about it at first, but I think I can accept it if Lisanna and Bixlow really like each other."

Bixlow stumbled. "But we don't - "

"Oh, there's no use denying it," Mirajane said, waving a hand and dragging them down the street. "We all know you've been secretly dating. I know I overreacted when I thought you and Bixlow were going out, Lisanna, but I've accepted it now. It's okay to admit it."

"We're not - " Lisanna tried, but Mirajane would not here of it. She kept talking, insisting that Bixlow and Lisanna were going out which, of course, was not the case. After a while, Lisanna gave up trying to convince her otherwise, knowing it was futile. Mirajane was a complete pairing nut. She sighed and squeezed Bixlow's arm. "It's no use," she muttered, shaking her head. "Just let it go."

Bixlow sighed and resigned, waving off Mirajane's chatter like Lisanna suggested. He supposed that they could get it straightened out later. But he could already tell that it was going to be a long night.

_/T.T\_

"Sorry about yesterday," Lisanna said, rubbing her arms against the chill. She and Bixlow walked through Magnolia, leaping over puddles and basking in the fine gray mist that layered the air. Lisanna was referring to the triple date that they were forced into by Mira, who had assumed the pair were dating since they were "spending so much time together" and "sneaking around". Eventually they got her attention long enough to explain that they were not dating. She was mildly embarrassed and somewhat aghast, asking multiple questions, but Bixlow and Lisanna finally convinced her that they were not together.

"Your sister's a pain in the ass sometimes, you know that?" Bixlow grumbled, kicking the water out of a puddle. His babies followed them in an orderly line, like ducks. "Almost as big of a pain as you."

"I am not a pain in the ass!" Lisanna objected, punching him. "And neither is my sister."

"Whatever floats your boat."

"Shut up," Lisanna said, rolling her eyes. She skipped over a large puddle, almost not making it and wobbling on one leg before starting forward again.

"I woulda laughed my ass off if you fell," Bixlow said. His dolls agreed with giggles of various decibels.

Lisanna scrunched her nose. "You're not very nice."

"Never said I was."

They walked in silence for a while. Lisanna glanced up at Bixlow, watching the swirly pattern of clouds reflect off his visor. She touched it with her index finger, causing him to jump. "Hey, don't you ever take that thing off? Show your face?"

"Eh, sometimes," Bixlow said with a shrug. "S'not like I sleep with it on. It's kinda like shoes or a shirt for me; normal clothes. I don't really think about puttin' it on in the morning, I just do."

By this time they had stopped at the house Lisanna shared with Mira and Elfman. She narrowed her eyes at him, a smirk turning her lips upward. Suddenly, she reached for the mask. "Lemme see!"

"Nuh-uh," Bixlow denied, dodging her hand. "I don't think so."

"Why?" Lisanna pouted.

" 'Cause you attacked me. Maybe if you'd asked like a normal person, I'd've let you."

"Please, can I see your face?"

"Nope, it's too late now."

Lisanna blinked up at him, calling forth her innocent puppy-dog eyes. "Pretty please?"

Bixlow shook his head.

Lisanna took a step closer so they were chest-to-chest. She blinked her blue eyes, doubling their potency. "Pretty please? Can I please see your face?"

Bixlow crossed his arms and looked away, but he didn't say anything. His dolls poked and prodded him, whispering, "Just let her see" and "Go on, Lisanna, do it". Lisanna took this as reluctant permission, and slowly raised her hand. She placed it on the mask and gently pulled it back like a hood, standing on her toes and steadying herself on his chest to do so. The medieval visor fell into her hands, and she drew back with a curious look at Bixlow's elusive face. It was one of sharp angles and hard lines, ornate with red eyes and a unique hairstyle. Lisanna imagined it with a tongue stuck out instead of the pout on his lips, and it fit perfectly.

He glanced at her with an eyebrow raised, then gave her an infamous Bixlow tongue-wagging grin when he saw her surprised expression. "You weren't expecting me to be so godly-handsome, am I right?"

Lisanna _hmph_ed, raising an eyebrow. She turned the visor around in her hands and deliberately placed it on her head, smiling as the heavy metal headgear slipped over her nose. "How do I look?"

"Horrible," Bixlow snorted, knocking on the metal with his knuckles. Lisanna lurched backward as the heavy material of the visor urged her head backwards. She grabbed both sides of the visor in an attempt to righten it.

"You have a big head, Bixlow," she exclaimed, blinking through the slits of the visor.

"I got a big brain," he replied, knocking on his blue-and-black cranium with another tongue-wagging smile.

Lisanna rolled her eyes. "I don't think it works that way."

"It should."

Lisanna stuck out her tongue. "Now do Ah loo moa lie eugh?"

"Nah, I'm a lot sexier," Bixlow remarked, assuming Lisanna had said (or attempted to say), _Now do I look more like you?_ His dolls chittered in response. She replied with a noncommittal snort, retracting her tongue and shaking her head, causing the visor to whip back and forth across her face. Bixlow grabbed either side of it and hoisted it off her head, revealing the great white puff of frizz that resulted from the visor tousling Lisanna's short hair. He boomed with laughter, much to Lisanna's embarrassment.

"Shut up!" she said, trying to smooth down her hair. She turned on her heel and walked through the minuscule yard to the small house. "I'll see you tomorrow, Bixlow! Bye-bye, Babies!" She waved and vanished through the door, leaving the night somewhat colder in her absence.

Bixlow turned the visor over in his hands, tucking it under his arm and marching in the direction of the house he shared with Fried. His dolls followed him, giggling with glee at being addressed by Lisanna. Bixlow smirked in their direction. The dolls often projected his inner-most emotions via their own actions. He laughed bitterly, rubbing his face in exasperation.

It was unusual for him to want to spend time with another person, even his own team, even Laxus. He felt an undeniable pull towards Lisanna, like the gravitational relationship between the moon and the earth. He never behaved the way he did when he was with her around anyone else. She made him feel uncertain and careful. He wasn't accustomed to this train of thought; not him, not Bixlow.

So he stowed the thought away, locking it in a chest with a key, only to be opened by Lisanna's will. He could already feel disapproval radiating off his babies, but that didn't matter. They would have to deal with it, for now. Because these things were so unfamiliar to him. They were too strange to investigate on his own.

The only thing he did know was that their behavior was not a result of a detour in his righteous conscience. It was the reaction they displayed when he wanted something more than he was admitting to himself, though that something had never been a person.

Bixlow definitely wanted Lisanna, wanted her in a way he'd never wanted anyone else. But it was going to have to stay that way for now, until she decided that she wanted to unlock and explore this want, this _need_ within him. Together.

The very thought sent him, rather than his babies, into a buzzing frenzy.

* * *

**Lisanna and Bixlow - End**


	10. Bisca and Alzack

_**Summary:** Bisca and Alzack are best friends. They're nakama. They're comrades. They do everything together. Unfortunately, their crippling shyness has delayed their much-anticipated relationship. The meddlers of Fairy Tail are tired of waiting, and decide to take things into their own hands. What could go wrong?_

_*I'm so glad the last chapter got good feedback! :D There were some conflicted replies, but there weren't any flames for which I am grateful. I love my readers! Your reviews make me smile. _

_I've gotten a lot of requests recently, but I've been putting this one off for a while. I will get around to everyone's request though, I promise. A lot of sequels have been requested (EvergreenxElfman II and LisannaxBixlow II mostly) and I swear I will write those as soon as I run out of other couples to write about. _

_Mashima Hiro owns Fairy Tail, and he doesn't leave author's notes that long. So it stands to reason that I'm not Mashima Hiro and, therefore, I do not own Fairy Tail._

* * *

**Bisca and Alzack**

**by: SmurfLuvsCookies**

_Okay_, Bisca thought as she walked to the guild from Fairy Hills. _Okay, today I'm gonna do it. Today I'm gonna ask Alzack on a date_. Just the thought of such an uncomfortable task made her palms sweat and her stomach flip. She stopped walking and took a deep breath, trying to expel the nervousness creeping up her spine. Why did she have to be so _shy_? Why couldn't she be more like Juvia, who seemed to have no trouble confessing her love for Gray, or Erza, who was confident in everything she did? Bisca was never confident. She clutched her head and squeezed her eyes shut. _I can't do this, I can't do this!_

"Uhh...Biscuit?"

Bisca's eyes popped open and she wheeled around to find Gajeel looming over her and Levy at his side, gazing at her with concern. The latter elbowed Gajeel in the stomach, giving him a look. "Her name is Bisca," she said, turning back to the cowgirl. "Is everything okay? You look...distressed."

"I-I'm fine I just...I was just thinkin' is all," Bisca stuttered, pushing forth a nervous laugh. Levy narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips, tapping her foot impatiently on the ground.

"I'm offended that you think I would leave it at that," Levy sighed, placing her hands on her hips. "Really, Bisca, what's wrong? Gajeel and I are here for you." Gajeel grumbled a bit, as he always seemed to get sucked into things like this because of Levy, but he didn't protest further.

Bisca bit her lip. Levy was nearly as shy as Bisca, and she'd somehow managed to ask Gajeel out. She peered at the intimidating Dragonslayer. He was definitely more frightening than Alzack, not to mention the fact that he attacked Levy before he even joined Fairy Tail. Bisca had a sudden appreciation for the little solid-script mage. If Levy could do that, then she could definitely ask Alzack out. Levy would understand, too.

"Well...I...I was gonna ask Alzack out on a date today," Bisca mumbled, blushing. "I'm just nervous about it. Y'all can go about your business."

Levy perked up. "You're finally going to ask Alzack out? Oh, that's great! Way to go, Bisca!"

"T-thanks, Levy," Bisca said, her face becoming an even deeper shade of red. It was in horrible contrast with her green hair; she would have to control her blush if Alzack was ever going to say yes. Her stomach flipped again. What if he didn't say yes? What if he did? Then what would she do?

She went with Levy and Gajeel to the guild, with an animated Levy supplying most of the conversation. Bisca was too nervous to talk, and Gajeel didn't seem like the chatterbox type. His remarks were fairly clipped and brusque, but as time passed Levy prodded more substantial responses from him.

As they walked into the guild, Levy grinned at Bisca encouragingly. "Good luck! I'll be cheering for you!"

"Thanks," Bisca said, trying to control her breathing.

"Don't worry too much," Gajeel said, shooting Bisca what she thought was a glare but she couldn't be sure. Maybe it was just his default expression. "He'd be an idiot if he said no."

Bisca blinked. Did Gajeel...did he just give her encouragement? By the radiant, if somewhat proud, look on Levy's face, it would seem that the answer was yes. "Thanks, Gajeel," she said, attempting a smile. "I'll try my best."

She turned away and marched towards the table she shared with Alzack most days, twisting her cowgirl hat in her hand. Her heart nearly lept out of her chest when she saw him. _Okay, calm down, girl, calm down. Don't start that blushin' again, else you'll look like a Christmas decoration_.

"Howdy, Bisca," Alzack greeted when she got to the table.

"H-hi," Bisca murmured, blood ringing in her ears. "Um, I have s-somethin' to ask you..."

"What's that?"

"Uh...I-I...Um..." Bisca struggled to speak through the lump in her throat and the angry knot in her stomach. She couldn't look at him, though she tried, so she looked at her boots. Brown today, her new ones. "I was wonderin' if...um, if you..." She blinked. Was it hot in here? "Um..." Oh no, she was feeling lightheaded. "I was just..."

A wave of vertigo rushed over her, and she felt herself topple forward into Alzack's arms before everything went black.

_/T.T\_

"_I can't believe I fainted_," Bisca moaned, dropping her head in her hands. She sat in the back room behind the bar, surrounded by most of the girls of Fairy Tail. After she had collapsed, Levy, who had a fairy certain idea what had happened, rushed over with Juvia and quickly separated Alzack from Bisca, carrying her into the back room. Erza stood outside, intimidating Alzack into waiting for Bisca to come out. According to Lucy, who was peering outside, he did not seem very happy about it.

"It's okay, Bisca-san!" Juvia reassured, patting the cowgirl's hand. "Juvia faints because of Gray-sama all the time! It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"But you don't faint because you tried to ask Gray out on a date," Bisca said. "It ain't the same."

"I'm sure that Alzack doesn't care about that, Bisca," Lucy coaxed. "He's probably concerned about you. Maybe if you go out there and try again..."

Bisca shook her head. "No, I ain't tryin' again. Not today. It's too awkward."

The girls unanimously sighed in exasperation. Just when they thought Bisca had finally mustered up the courage to ask Alzack out, their hopes were crushed. Bisca and Alzack were just too shy; they needed a little push.

Mirajane went to go get Bisca a glass of water. Cana offered to tell Bisca her love fortune and see if she would reconsider her second attempt, but she refused. Lucy summoned Loke and had him encourage Bisca to "follow her heart and do right by love", but it only freaked her out. Mirajane returned and let Bisca drink, then she ordered everybody out to give her some time to prepare to face Alzack.

Bisca stared down at her boots, miserable and crippled and alone. How could she have done something so stupid? Fainting. Bisca Mulan did not faint. She was a strong, confident western woman who did not let things like bashfulness bring her down. She took a deep breath and set her shoulders, determined. She had been friends with Alzack for years, and she wanted more now. Now was the time.

A warm, bubbly feeling started to spread through her core, strangely out of place in her body. She looked down at herself, confused, as if she might find something on the outside to account for it. It wasn't any kind of emotion she could place. It was more like when she got drowsy from medication, but instead of feeling sleepy she felt...well, she wasn't sure. Giddy?

Bisca shook her head to clear it. Maybe she hit her head when she fell or something. She did feel off. But perhaps that was a good thing; she could ask Alzack to walk her home. Her prospects suddenly bright, she stood and left the room to face her partner.

_/T.T\_

"Erza, this is downright ridiculous. Let me inside."

"I'm afraid I can't allow you inside, Alzack. You're just going to have to wait until she comes out."

Alzack glared at the Titania, who was blocking his way to Bisca. After she had fainted (and fallen right into his arms, which left him flustered and blushing) Levy and Juvia whisked her away and shut her up in the back room along with every other female in the guild. Every female except Erza, who was apparently instructed to guard the back room from Alzack, and continued to do so even though all the girls minus Bisca had reappeared.

He narrowed his eyes at Erza. There was no way he was even going to attempt to get through her, as she was the feared Titania and he was just a simple marksman. But he was slowly losing his patience. He was worried about Bisca, and she was on the other side of that door. There was little that would keep him from that door, but unfortunately Erza was one of those things. Still, he was close to testing that theory.

"I ain't afraid to fight you, Erza. I don't want to, but I will if that's what it takes."

Erza crossed her arms. "Fight me then. You are not getting inside that room on my watch."

Alzack pulled out his revolver and pointed it at Erza, aiming at her shoulder. He didn't want to hurt his nakama, but he would if it was necessary to see Bisca. Erza exquipped into her bullet-repellent armor, which Alzack immediately knew he was no match for.

Bisca suddenly opened the door behind Erza, jumping when she saw that Alzack had pulled out a gun. "What's all the commotion?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Bisca!" Alzack cried, worming his way under Erza's arm to get to his partner. "Are you okay? Why'd you tell Erza to guard the door? I ain't gonna hurt you, if that's what you're thinkin'."

"I know that," Bisca said, waving off the suggestion and casually looping her arm though his. He looked at it, and at her, and blushed as she lead them past Erza and to their table. "I didn't order her to do any such thing. I think it was Levy."

"Oh."

"But I'm all better now," Bisca continued, plopping down at a table and bringing Alzack along with her. He tried to scoot away, but she kept their arms locked and pulled him back. He swallowed, leaning away as she leaned in.

"Uhm...are you sure you're feelin' okay, Bisca?" he asked, squirming in his seat.

"Why of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?" Bisca smiled, and gave him a hug. "You did catch me after all, so I didn't fall. Thanks, by the way. Who knows how hard I would've hit my head?" Bisca let go and squeezed his biceps, whilst Alzack blushed a shade of scarlet akin to Erza's hair. "You're so strong, Al-Al."

"Al-Al?" Alzack repeated, flushing again.

"Yeah, is it okay if I call you that? I remember Lucy sayin' somethin' about our Edolas counterparts usin' nicknames, and I just think it's downright adorable! Don't you?" Bisca rested her chin on his shoulder and smiled.

"W-well, I - "

"If you don't like Al-Al, I could call you somethin' else. Like Allie, or Zackie."

"Um, actually, I just like my regular name," Alzack said honestly, pulling at the collar of his shirt.

Bisca considered this, then shrugged. "Your regular name is cute too, I guess."

"Um, uh...B-bisca?"

"Hm?"

"W-will you let me go?"

Bisca frowned and released his arm, scooting into her own seat. "Okay, if that's what you want," she said, looking down at her hands. "I just thought that maybe you liked me...I guess I was wrong."

Alzack's eyes widened, and he waved his arms frantically. "No, no, it's not that I don't like you, I'm just not entirely comfortable with you bein' all cuddly and stuff yet - "

Bisca shook her head. "No, I understand! You don't like me. I threw myself at you, and you rejected me completely! I'm sorry, Alzack, for not takin' into consideration your feelin's. I'll never do it again for as long as I shall live!"

Alzack blanched. "Wait, I didn't say that I didn't - "

"Shh," Bisca said, pressing her finger to his lips. "Don't utter another word. I understand, so there ain't no need to explain." She stood from the table, and leaned down to kiss him on the cheek. This time it was Alzack who nearly fainted from glee. But when he finally brought himself back down to earth, Bisca was walking out of the guild.

He hopped up, tripping over the table. "Bisca! Bisca, wait!"

Hearing his voice, she sobbed and ran out of the guild. Alzack cursed and elbowed his way through the crowd, hoping he could catch up with her and clear everything up. He certainly liked Bisca, much more than he felt comfortable admitting to her. But she was acting so strange...

When he made it outside, she was already gone. He slapped his forehead. There was no way she would let him into her apartment at Fairy Hills; she would let only her exotic pets consol her now.

"What happened?" Alzack turned to see Gajeel, who had been the one to speak, and the girls of Fairy Tail glaring at him accusingly.

"I don't know," Alzack said, trying not to shrivel in the looming presence of the Iron Dragonslayer and a crowd of angry, powerful females. "She was actin' all weird and I guess I said somethin' that she took the wrong way..."

"Alzack, you idiot!" Levy squealed, pulling at her blue tresses. "She was trying to ask you out on a date, and you must have said something and accidentally rejected her!"

"You probably broke her poor heart!" Lucy said, shaking her head.

"And we told her that you wouldn't say no..." Cana said, biting her lip.

"Is she not good enough for you or somethin'?" Gajeel sneered, crossing his arms menacingly.

"NO! No, ya'll got it all wrong!" Alzack said. "I do like Bisca, I do! She was just actin' weird, and I didn't know what to do!"

"Oh _no_," Mirajane cried, her eyes widening. Everyone turned to her with inquiring expressions. She covered her mouth, looking ready to cry. "I gave Bisca a potion."

"YOU _WHAT_?" Everyone gasped.

"I'm so sorry," Mirajane sobbed. "I just thought that if she had a little bit of extra confidence in herself, she would be able to ask Alzack out without any trouble. So I put some potion in her water. I didn't realize that she would misinterpret something Alzack said and be heartbroken like this. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, Mira," Lisanna comforted, patting her sister's back. She turned to Alzack. "It's not your fault. We're sorry too. Just wait for the potion to wear off and then explain everything to her, okay? Everything will be fine."

Alzack sighed miserably. "I hope you're right."

_/T.T\_

"Oh. My. Lord."

Bisca sat next to Alzack at the guild, wide-eyed, as he relayed the events from yesterday. Apparently a side-effect of the potion Mirajane gave her was amnesia, so she didn't remember a thing while under it's influence. Which was probably a good thing, because Bisca would have died of embarrassment otherwise.

"It really ain't that bad," Alzack reassured. "I'm just happy you ain't mad at me."

"Why would I be mad?" Bisca asked. "I was bein' completely ornery. You should be the one who's mad, not the other way around."

"You didn't know what you were doin'. I ain't got no reason to be angry."

Bisca sighed, and shyly glanced up at Alzack. "That makes me feel loads better."

"Me too," Alzack sighed, letting his breath out in a _whoosh_. "I don't know what I'd do if you came back mad at me 'cause you thought I rejected you."

"Well..." Bisca began, blushing. "If I asked you out, would you reject me?"

Alzack went crimson. "Well, I - no, I wouldn't - I mean, I really - " He stopped and cleared his throat, untying his tongue. "I, uh, really l-like you and all, and I...um, I mean - I would be honored if you wanted to ask me out."

Bisca laughed. "If you like me so much, why don't _you_ ask _me _out?"

"I don't think I can," Alzack squeaked, red up to his hairline.

"Alzack," Bisca said, blinking her big, dark eyes at him. "Will you be so kind to go to the shootin' range with me tomorrow night? And then maybe dinner?"

"Yes," Alzack breathed. "But only if you promise not to call me Al-Al."

"I won't if you don't call me Bis-Bis."

"Deal."

Bisca smiled, and Alzack tentatively returned it. Behind her back, she signaled Levy with a thumbs up. Half of Fairy Tail erupted into applause, or in some cases groans, as they handed their money to Cana. Alzack looked around, confused, but decided not to question the sudden uproar. He was floating in happiness, and by the look on Bisca's face, he could tell that she was too.

* * *

**Bisca and Alzack - End**


	11. Aries and Loke

_**Summary:** Planets will align, stars will cross, but Loke will never be the same. He can't be Loke of Fairy Tail anymore, but he is no longer Leo the Lion. He has lost his entire being to the universe, and there is only one person who can save him: the person he almost died trying to protect. Aries figures that it's about time for her to return the favor._

_*To infinity, and beyond!_

_I don't own Fairy Tail. :( Mashima Hiro does._

* * *

**Aries and Loke**

**by: SmurfLuvsCookies**

He looked up at the sky and saw her there. Aries, just another cluster of stars in an infinite midnight sky. In the Celestial Spirit world it was always midnight, and you could see every single constellation.

Thanks to Lucy, Loke was able to return to this world. He loved Earthland, but the Spirit world was his true home. It hurt him to be away from it, mentally and physically. Already he could feel his damaged body healing from his long stay, the vitality of the Spirit world flowing through his veins like cool water. He belonged here.

Loke knew he should find Lucy's other spirits, but he couldn't. What would they say to him, now that he was back? He killed Karen, his owner; he might as well be dead to them. The bond between spirit and owner was sacred beyond belief and as old as time. He was the first spirit to ever sever a contract.

He laid back on the soft grass with a sigh and stared up at the Ram constellation. It was necessary. He wouldn't have dared it unless it was necessary. If he hadn't, who knows what Karen might have done to Aries? How many men would she have had to entertain? How many times would she have been abused? Aries didn't deserve that. Karen didn't know how to treat her right. She was like a small, spoiled child with a fragile toy, beating it on the ground again and again until it shattered into a pieces. Loke couldn't let Aries shatter. She was already so broken.

He could only hope that she'd found an owner as caring as Lucy.

_/T.T\_

"Leo!"

Loke couldn't believe his ears. It was too good to be true.

But when he turned around, he saw that it was true. Aries beamed at him with Gemini and Scorpio at her side. Aquarius shrieked with delight and rushed over to her boyfriend, pulling him into a passionate kiss. Aries shied away from them and hesitantly made her way over to Loke, fiddling with the edge of her wool dress. She stopped in front of him, ducking her head as he gaped.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Loke finally managed to sputter. It was a general rule that spirits not belonging to the same owner couldn't see each other in the Celestial Spirit world. Arquarius and Scorpio, for instance, had to force their gates open and stay in Earthland if they wanted to go on a date.

"Angel was arrested, so all of her contracts are broken," Aries murmured, rubbing her foot along the grass. "Gemini suggested that we go find Lucy, since she was so good to you and her other spirits. She took us in without hesitation. We belong to her now."

Lucy. This was just another gift that he could never repay her for.

Without thinking, Loke pulled Aries into a hug, taking in her soft, cottony scent. She went rigid at first, trying desperately not to wiggle away, but eventually relaxed and tentatively wrapped her arms around him.

He wished they could stay like that forever. He forgot how much he yearned for her gentle touch, the absence of which left a ragged gaping hole that no Earthland girl could ever satisfy. Just one embrace and he felt more complete than he had in the past three years.

"You deserve Lucy, Aries," Loke sighed, leaning his cheek on the top of her head. "After everything you've been through, you deserve someone who will finally treat you the right way."

"I already have someone like that," Aries said, adjusting her head so she could look up at him. "You've always been kind to me, Leo. Because of you I was able to endure it all. You've been through as much as I have, and you're still strong. You deserve Lucy just as much as I do."

Loke wanted very much to kiss her in that moment. It would have been perfect, but he knew better than that. After all of the abuse she'd taken, Aries was weird when it came to things like intimacy. She was sheepish and insecure, and Loke didn't want to scare her away as soon as he got her back. He was already pushing things with his impulsive embrace. So he didn't kiss her, even though he really wanted to.

"I go by Loke now," he said, reluctantly letting her go. She stepped back and looked at him, blinking inquisitively. "It was my Earthland name, so I've decided to keep it."

"Loke," Aries said, trying it out on her tongue. The sound sent chills down his back. "I like it. It's a nice name." She paused and her eyes fluttered down to the ground. "How long were you in Earthland, Loke?"

"Three years."

Aries gasped, glancing up again sharply. "Three years! How is that even possible?"

"I had a lot of people to help me through it," Loke said, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth when he remembered Fairy Tail. "I joined a guild, the same guild Lucy's at, and they...they're really special people. I'm glad that I still get the chance to see them and help them out through Lucy."

Aries smiled warmly. "You've changed a lot, if you don't mind me saying so."

"I have?" Loke blinked.

Aries nodded. "The name change suits you. You're not Leo anymore. You're Loke." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Maybe I should change my name. I've always liked the name Annabel."

Loke struggled to keep his grin under control, but he finally burst into laughter at Aries' wistful expression. "I'm sorry, did I say something funny?" she giggled nervously, shuffling from side to side.

"No," Loke chortled, wiping a tear from his eye. "It's just, you haven't changed a bit."

Aries laughed. "Oh. Then I guess I shouldn't change my name, huh?"

"No, I think Aries suits you just fine."

They laid on the grass and talked and slept and gazed up at the constellations. Loke felt relieved and happy now that he knew for sure Aries was safe. He'd hoped that after Karen died she'd find a good owner, but Loke supposed it didn't happen. Not by what he saw.

As Aries dozed off beside him, curled in a ball on the soft, silky grass, he realized that if Lucy had lost the battle with Angel and she taken all of Lucy's keys, he would have done it all again. Protested against Angel for Aries sake. Of course he would have been a bit more careful with it, trying not to kill Angel. But if it came to that, he would have done it. For Aries.

_Face it_, he thought, brushing an askew pink hair behind her ear. _You wouldn't have been satisfied until she was here with you. You don't trust her with anyone but Lucy_. At least he knew Lucy would cherish Aries as much as he did. Lucy sincerely loved her spirits, and that's what Aries needed. Love.

As if he didn't love her enough already.

_/T.T\_

Aries liked Loke's hugs.

She usually didn't like hugs. Karen's boyfriends always squeezed her too tight and held her for too long; they ruined hugs for her. Hugs were dangerous and mean. Whenever someone put their arms around her, she had to resist the urge to flee.

But Loke's hugs were different. They were always warm and kind and gentle, and he never held her until she was uncomfortable. If she displayed the slightest bit of unease, he would let go immediately. Loke's hugs were safe. _Loke_ was safe.

When she had belonged to Angel, Gemini and Scorpio had been nice enough, but she had never really fit in with them. They often left her alone with some of Angel's meaner spirits. Aries was always miserable then.

She was never miserable with Loke.

He tugged her around everywhere, never letting go of her hand. It made Aries feel good. It was as if he didn't want to let go; as if he _refused_ to let go. Loke only ever left her side when summoned by Lucy. There was even once, when they were on a date (the first time Loke had ever pushed her from something other than friendship, and even then he did nothing but hug her afterward) and Lucy summoned him. He asked Virgo to go in for him as a favor, saying that Lucy would understand. Only when Virgo came back, defeated, did he leave. But Aries didn't mind, because it was _Lucy_ after all. Lucy was as much her rescuer as Loke.

Still, Aries always felt as though he was always rescuing her. Defending her against Karen. Fighting her when Angel summoned her, knowing that she would pay for it later if he didn't. Asking Virgo to cover for him. Holding back even though Aries could feel he wanted more than friendship. He'd done too much for her, and she just wanted to return the favor.

So when she saw him curled up under a tree with spreading branches and spidering roots, combing grass with his fingers, she knew she could do something to fix it. Something was obviously wrong; Loke had gone to Earthland (Aries assumed Lucy had summoned him), and he always came to find her after arriving back to the Celestial world. She walked over to him, staring at his long fingers raking through the grass.

"Loke?"

He jumped a little, like he always did when she said his name. He didn't look at her. "Hi, Aries."

"What's the matter?" she asked, kneeling beside him in the grass.

Loke still didn't look at her. "It's just that time of year. That's it."

Aries thought for a moment, then gasped when she realized what day it was. "Oh, Loke, I'm so sorry! Today is the anniversary of Karen's death, isn't it?"

Loke nodded. "It's funny. I went today, and I stood in front of her grave, and I realized that I'm not Leo the Lion anymore. I stopped being Leo the day she died. But I'm not Loke of Fairy Tail anymore either. I stopped being him the day I gave Lucy my key." He paused and put his face in his hands. "I stood in front of her grave and I realized that I don't know who I am anymore. I don't know."

Aries carefully pried his hands away from his face and rubbed away his tears with her thumb. "You're Loke," she said, giving his hands a reassuring squeeze. "Just Loke. You don't need to be any more than that. Everybody loves just Loke."

He said nothing.

"But this isn't about that," Aries continued. "Karen's death does not make you a bad person, Loke. You were trying to do the right thing. You didn't know she would go do something so reckless. It's my fault for being so weak and letting you be strong for me."

Loke opened his mouth to say something, but Aries held up a hand to silence him. It was new for her. It felt kind of...good. "Let me finish, please. I've been depending on you for too long. I'm going to let you and Lucy give me a boost, and then I'm going to get stronger with your support. Then I won't have to lean on you anymore. Maybe you could lean on me instead."

He smiled. "Okay."

Aries frowned at the ground, taking a deep breath. "Loke, maybe you could lean on me now," she said. "Right now. I have a shoulder if you want to cry, or I can tell a joke if you want to laugh, or you can scream if you're angry." She paused, and gulped. "And...you...you can kiss me, i-if you want to."

Loke blinked, relatively surprised. After a second he leaned forward, hesitantly, almost cautiously, studying Aries' face. She closed her eyes, her heart thumping in her chest and her blood singing in her veins. It was a strange mixture of fear, exhilaration, and something else she couldn't even begin to describe.

It wasn't bad. In fact, it was actually pleasant. Loke gently brushed his lips along hers, and slowly made his way down to her shoulder, burying his face in the curve of her neck. Aries blushed vividly, trying not to move too much. It was not what she was expecting. She was expecting to tolerate the kiss for Loke, not to want to kiss him again. Kissing was supposed to be worse than hugging. She wasn't expecting it to be so gentle, so warm, so safe.

She wasn't expecting _this_.

"I'm just going to sit here for a second," Loke sighed, sounding exhausted. His breath was warm on her neck, and made shivers run up her spine. "Is that okay?"

"Yes," Aries said, closing her eyes and staying as still as possible. "I don't mind."

She didn't know how long they stayed like that. It could have been seconds, and it very well could have been days. They didn't move. No one bothered them. They weren't summoned. They just sat there under the tree, under their constellations, the Lion and the Ram, setting aside their sorrows and treasuring their moment of bittersweet bliss.

* * *

**Aries and Loke - End**


	12. Sherry and Lyon

_**Summary: **Sherry is devastated when Angelica disappears, and begs Lyon to assist her in searching for and rescuing her beloved pet. Lyon nonchalantly agrees, believing that it shouldn't be hard to find a ten ton rat. If only things were always as easy as they seemed._

_*100 REVIEWS! I love you guys, you know that? :D_

_.soed oriH amihsaM. liaT yriaF nwo t'nod I_

* * *

**Sherry and Lyon**

**by: SmurfLuvsCookies**

The Lamia Scale guild was peaceful enough that day. There was no yelling, or fighting, or cursing for once. Lyon found it relaxing. Sometimes the guild was claustrophobic to him, too many people in the same place. After three years of working closely with only Sherry, Yuka, and Toby, all these people trying to include him and befriend him and make him part of their "family" became irritating and stressful. However, he'd begun to tolerate it, and now he was even starting to enjoy it. It was nice to have something like a family again.

He often wondered what Fairy Tail was like. Gray was in that guild. Would it be better, or worse? Lyon supposed it didn't really matter, now that he was part of Lamia Scale. It was Sherry's old guild, so they all welcomed her, and in turn him, back with open arms.

"LYYYYYOOOOOON!"

The ice mage in question jumped as his name echoed off the walls of the guild. He turned in time to be glomped by a sobbing Sherry. "L-Lyon!" she wailed again, burying her mascara-streaked face into his white jacket. "I can't find Angelicaaaaa!"

"You can't find Angelica?" Lyon repeated, baffled. How hard was it to lose a humongous rat dressed up as a frilly doll? He'd imagine it was very difficult, but didn't have time to voice this deduction as Sherry erupted into renewed sobs.

"I can't find her! I think she was kidnapped!" Sherry said, trying to pull herself together. She rubbed makeup off of her cheeks and reduced her screeching sobs to hiccups. "Angelica would never leave me, and she would never wander away. She's a good girl. I think someone saw her and took her away because she's so adorable."

Lyon highly doubted that, considering Angelica was about as adorable as Deliora. But she was a fairly rare specimen, so he decided not to completely dismiss the notion that she was kidnapped. Still, he felt that Angelica wandering away for a few minutes and Sherry overreacting was a more reasonable explaination.

"I love Angelica," Sherry continued, looking at Lyon with pleading eyes brimming with tears. "Please, Lyon, _please_ will you help me find her? I'll do anything you want."

"Well - "

"Pretty please? With a Sherry on top?"

Lyon sighed, facepalming at her lame and somewhat inappropriate pun. "I suppose."

Sherry squealed, hugging Lyon in her overwhelming rush relief and adoration. "Thank you so much! You don't know how much this means to me, Lyon."

"Will you let go of me?" Lyon wheezed, gasping for hair under the duress of Sherry's crushing embrace. It wasn't her arms, per se, that were causing his lack of oxygen; it was her voluptuous figure that was doing the suffocating. It made Lyon feel rather awkward.

"Yes, of course! Sorry!" Sherry said, releasing him and immediately drifting into a flawless curtsy. "Please forgive me."

"Yeah, whatever," Lyon said, tugging at the collar of his shirt. "Let's just go find your rat."

As they walked out of the guild, Sherry jabbed a finger at the black stain on Lyon's jacket. "Where did you get that stain?"

"Your mascara isn't waterproof."

Sherry shrieked, her hands flying up to her face. "Oh no!"

"It's fine, I can just buy another - "

"I have to fix my makeup!" Sherry rushed back into the guild, fiddling with her emergency makeup kit. Lyon sighed and sat back down at the bar, shedding his jacket (consciously this time, for he couldn't walk around with a stain on the front of it), and ordering another drink. This was going to take a while.

_/T.T\_

"Angelica! Angelica! Where are you?" Sherry's frantic voice bounced and echoed off the alley walls, her newly lipsticked mouth stretching wide to articulate the words. Lyon trailed behind her, kicking a pebble with his foot. He found it ridiculous that they should be looking in the cramped alley at all, considering the rat's ominous mass of fur and fat was impossible to squeeze between the brick walls.

Sherry wheeled around to glare at him when he kicked the pebble too hard and it sailed high into the air, landing squarely on the back of her knees and rebounding to the ground. "If you aren't going to even going to help, then why are you here?" she cried, her eyes brimming with tears again.

"I'll help once we actually come to a location where Angelica is liable to be hiding," Lyon said, looking around the grubby alley. "There's no way she could fit in here. She's not exactly a normal rat."

Sherry's eyes grew wide. "Well, I knew that! Angelica is special in every way, and I love her, and if you can't handle that then you can just leave us alone!"

Lyon sighed as she collapsed into sobs, covering her face with her hands. This was not going well; not only had they been looking for at least an hour, but Sherry was becoming more and more hysterical. She was genuinely concerned about her pet rat.

He shuffled his feet uncomfortably in the presence of her tears. He edged forward, hesitantly placing a hand on the top of her hair and dragging his fingers down her cherry-colored tresses. "There, there," he consoled artlessly. "We'll find her, Sherry, don't worry."

"Oh, Lyon!" Sherry exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder. Lyon squirmed, feeling very awkward. He didn't know what to do with his hands, or what to say to this distraught Sherry, or how to make her feel better. It was all very maladroit.

"W-why don't we go look in the forest?" Lyon inquired, settling for putting his hands on her shoulders and gently prying her off of his person. "That's the best place to hide a giant rat, isn't it?"

"I suppose so," Sherry sniffed, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue Lyon presented to her. "Thank you for helping me, by the way. I know it's very cumbersome of me to request this of you."

"Not at all. I don't mind."

"I didn't mean what I said before. I was just upset."

"What did you say, again?"

Sherry blushed vividly. "About how I love Angelica and if you can't handle it then you can leave us alone. I do love Angelica, and I do think she's special, but I love you too, you know. Everything I do is out of love for you or her."

Lyon blinked, and felt himself blush. Sherry talked about love all the time, but she'd never directly expressed the fact that she loved him, at least not to his face. He didn't quite know what to say. Should he tell her that he loved her too? He cared deeply about Sherry, but he wasn't entirely sure if it was in a romantic way or because of the simple fact that they'd been working closely together for three plus years. He decided to say nothing about the matter.

But he did take her hand.

_/T.T\_

"Ice make: tower!"

Sherry watched as Lyon shot into the air, high above the rooftops behind them and the trees before them, supported by the pillar of ice. She could feel the coldness of it on her face and arms. Lyon was amazing, handling all that chill inside of him. She looked at the shirt in her hands and held it to her cheek, taking in Lyon's scent. It was a nice one, cool and subtle like him.

Despite Lyon's presence, Sherry felt the hole in her heart from Angelica's absence. It was a large hole, gaping and ragged. A wound too deep to investigate. What if she didn't find Angelica? She'd raised her since she was just a little baby and could fit in her palm. She'd dressed her up in cute clothes and fed her and watched her grow. She'd flown with her and completed missions with her. Angelica wasn't only her pet; she was her best friend.

Sherry jumped when Lyon landed beside her. "I don't see anything that looks remotely like Angelica," he reported with a sympathetic frown. "But it is getting dark, so perhaps I missed something. Do you want to continue looking?"

It was getting dark. Sherry could barely see Lyon's face. And the forest got so dangerous at night. What if something happened to Angelica? Sherry would never forgive herself.

But then again, what if something happened to her and Lyon while they were looking? That would be equally devastating. She remembered that time she thought Lyon was dead and swallowed down the choking fear that clawed it's way up her throat. She didn't think she could go through that again.

So who did she love more: Lyon or Angelica?

"I...I don't know!" she cried, tears streaming down her eyes for the fourth time that day.

Lyon started, surprised by her sudden outburst. He shuffled his feet. "Um...well, perhaps you could send one of your wood dolls to look while we took a little brake. If Angelica isn't found tonight, we'll look again tomorrow."

Sherry shook her head. "What if she gets hurt?"

"She's a ten ton rat," Lyon pointed out. "I don't think anyone or anything is going to bother her."

"She's a rare species, and she's domesticated!" Sherry exclaimed. "Someone could kidnap her if they haven't already! And she's no match against some giant, wild beast in the forest! She's tame!"

"But she's also smart," Lyon consoled. "She can survive for one night."

Sherry nodded and followed Lyon back to the guild. As they walked, she asked, "What if we don't find her, Lyon? What will I do?"

"We'll find her," Lyon assured.

"But how do you know?" Sherry inquired.

Lyon shrugged. "Because we won't stop looking until we do."

Sherry beamed at the back of his head, her heart swelling with love. She knew from experience that, once the ice mage set his mind on something, nothing was going to stop him from succeeding. It was just the kind of person Lyon was.

If he said that they were going to find Angelica, then they were going to find her.

_/T.T\_

The forest was foggy and humid the next morning. Sherry and Lyon crunched along the swerving paths etched into the forest floor by travelers' weary feet. It was evident that Sherry hadn't slept well that night, probably worrying about Angelica. She'd grabbed a coffee from the guild before they'd left, something that she wasn't allowed to have on a regular basis. Toby, who had taken over the bartending duties, must have pitied her.

"If Angelica was hiding," Lyon said, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Where do you think she would hide?"

"Somewhere open enough for her to move around," Sherry said, looking down at her thermos sadly. "She doesn't like closed spaces. And nowhere with strawberry plants. She's allergic. And she knows what poison ivy is too, so she'd stay away from that. Also, she doesn't like elephants."

Lyon gave her a look. "I don't think there are any elephants in the forest, Sherry."

"I know," Sherry said, hiccuping. "But there are elephants on my thermos, and it made me think of her!"

At closer inspection, Lyon realized that there were, indeed, a pattern of tiny, colorful elephants on the plastic surface of the thermos. He sighed in exasperation and continued talking. "So, based on what you've told me, I think that, if she is in the forest, she's in some kind of clearing."

"Most likely with flowers," Sherry added, taking a tentative sip of her coffee. "Sweet-smelling ones. She loves those."

"Flowers like...honeysuckle?"

"Yes, exactly," Sherry nodded. "And wild roses, and petunias, and - "

"No, Sherry," Lyon hushed, grabbing her arm. "Look over there."

Sherry looked at where Lyon was pointing, trying to ignore the cool feeling of his hand on her shoulder, and saw the thicket of crushed honeysuckle not ten feet away. She shrieked with delight and raced towards it. "That's it! Angelica must be here! Angelica! Angelica, come here my darling! It's me!"

She heard crashing in the undergrowth to her right. She grinned, spreading her arms open wide to embrace her beloved rat. "Angelica! It's me, Angelica!"

"Sherry!" Lyon warned. "I don't think that's - "

A giant boar leapt from the trees and charged towards Sherry, who stood in the middle of the clearing with her arms wide open. She gasped and threw herself to the side, barely managing to dodge the wild pig. It squealed, rolling it's eyes back, and charged instead at Lyon.

Lyon stumbled backwards in shock and began running away, though he was no match for the boar's incredible speed. He turned and slammed his fist into his hand. "Ice make: eagle!"

A dozen fierce birds shot like arrows from his hands, and aimed their razor beaks at the boar. The beast tossed it's head and shattered the birds with it's horns, unfazed by Lyon's counter attack.

Lyon picked up his speed and jumped onto the first sturdy tree he saw, climbing up the thick limbs. The boar rammed into it, the impact so jarring that Lyon nearly fell. He heard Sherry scream his name and cursed as the boar flicked his head towards her, charging her way again. She scrambled off the ground and extended her hands, focusing her power onto the boar. "Doll Play Attack: Boar Doll!"

The boar, despite Sherry's magic, continued to charge. Her eyes widened in fear. "Oh no!" she shrieked. "It's enchanted somehow! My magic isn't working on it!"

"Run!" Lyon commanded, barely clinging to his branch as he struggled to regain his footing.

Sherry had no time. She could only flinch as the boar's deadly horns came within inches of impaling her. She hoped that the boar wouldn't charge at Lyon, and that Lyon wouldn't mourn her death for too long. She hoped that he found Angelica and cared for her. She hoped -

A flash of gray knocked her to her feet, and the boar flew into the nearest tree. There was an angered roar from above, and a gray foot planted itself beside Sherry. She looked up and saw a mountain of gray fur and black clothes. "Angelica!" she cheered, her eyes filling with tears of joy and relief.

The boar got to it's feet and charged at Angelica, it's eyes rolling with outrage. The rat squared her feet and braced herself. She grabbed the bull's horns before he could make impact and pushed back, digging her heels into the soft earth. The boar squealed with frustration, running but going nowhere. Angelica finally lifted the giant pig in the air with a groan and threw him into a tree. The boar rebounded to the ground and was still.

"Angelica!" Sherry cried, shakily getting to her feet. "Oh, Angelica, I'm so happy to see you!"

The rat smiled at her owner and lifted her onto her hand. Sherry hugged the rat's snout, stifling the tears that were threatening to overflow. "Angelica, don't ever do that to me again," she said. "I was worried sick about you."

Angelica snuffed in agreement, placing Sherry back onto the ground. Sherry looked around, frowning. "Lyon? Lyon, where did you - ?" A horrified gasp interrupted her question, as she saw Lyon's shoe sticking out from the toppled tree where the boar lay. She raced over to the spot, digging until she found the rest of Lyon. But when she got to where the ankle was supposed to be, she discovered that the only thing there was the shoe.

"Oh no!" she cried, burying her face in her hands. "The boar hit the tree so hard that Lyon vaporized! The only thing left is his shoe!" She unearthed the shoe and held it to her chest. "I promise I will remember you forever, Lyon! You'll forever be in my heart as my first love! My _only_ love! I'll never love anyone else, only you!"

Sherry heard someone clear their throat behind her. She wheeled around and saw Lyon standing there, scratched up and limping but otherwise whole. "That would be my shoe," he said.

Her face went crimson as she handed it back to him. "Oh, Lyon, you're alive! How did you escape?"

"I managed to jump from the tree before Angelica threw the boar," Lyon answered, wincing as he attempted to slip on his shoe. Sherry bent down to assist him. "My shoe fell off when I hit the ground."

"Oh," Sherry said, straightening up and putting Lyon's arm over her shoulder. "And, um, how much of that did you hear?"

"All of it," Lyon said smugly.

"Oh," Sherry repeated, dismayed and embarrassed.

"Yes," Lyon said awkwardly. "I must say, I'm touched that I'll be forever in your heart."

Sherry blushed. "Yes, well, that is...um, that's..."

Angelica grumbled boisterously, saving her owner from utter humiliation. Lyon looked up, smirking. "I'm glad we found Angelica. I wonder what she was doing in the forest in the first place?"

"I have absolutely no idea," Sherry said, thankful for the topic change. "She certainly is one of a kind."

"Definitely," Lyon agreed. He tapped his chin. "Would it be horribly corny of me to say, 'Just like you'?"

"Yes, it would," Sherry mumbled, flushing again. "But you should say it anyway."

"Okay then," Lyon said. "She's definitely one of a kind, just like you."

And Lyon wasn't sure if it was because he hit his head when he jumped from the tree, or if he was just relieved that this whole debacle with Angelica was over, or if it was really because he was falling in love with Sherry, but he leaned over and kissed her. It was just a little peck, nothing much, but Sherry screeched to a stop and went rigid, her blue eyes wide. Then all the blood rushed up to her face and she swooned, dragging the both of them to the ground.

Lyon groaned, rolling off of Sherry's unconscious body. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, amused by her blush and the smile on her face. He would have to plan his kisses better in the future; preferably when he was not balancing on one leg and having Sherry guide him home.

Angelica made a sound somewhat akin to a chuckle, scooping Sherry up in one arm and Lyon up in the other. Her fur was surprisingly soft, and Lyon felt himself drifting off. It had been an exhausting two days, and he made a mental note to purchase some kind of tracker for Angelica so this never happened again.

He struggled to keep his eyes open, focusing his attention on Sherry's slumbering form. She was still smiling, and still blushing, her hands and cheek buried in Angelica's fur. He felt some warm, bubbly feeling spread from his stomach to his limbs like thick honey. He didn't know what is was; perhaps it was love, like Sherry felt all the time, or perhaps it was some other strange chemical coursing through his veins.

Whatever it was, Lyon decided he liked it.

* * *

**Sherry and Lyon - End**


	13. Cana and Macao

_**Summary: **What do you do when your son has a crush on the woman you secretly still love? Macao isn't sure, but he knows that Romeo isn't ever going to get Cana's attention...right?_

_*Romeo, Romeo, where for art thou Romeo? :) Sorry for the lengthy couple weeks it took me to update...vacation + limited computer access = a lazy me. But I'm back on track now, and updates should be coming as usual. Also sorry if it seems kind of rushed...I was having trouble ending it. _

_Who is in the possession of Fairy Tail? Not I._

* * *

**Cana and Macao**

**by: SmurfLuvsCookies**

It wasn't often that Romeo came to his father for advice, because generally Macao wasn't good at giving advice. Romeo didn't mind most days; he usually went to Cana and her cards if he needed help.

So Macao was relatively surprised and a little bit touched when Romeo tugged on his shirt and asked him how he could possibly get a girl's attention. Macao grinned wide. He had been waiting for the day when Romeo got his first crush. "Well, son," he said, scratching the stubble on his chin. "If you want to get a girl's attention, you have to date other girls. Then when they realize that these other girls want to date you, she'll want to date you too."

"That sounds dirty," Romeo remarked, narrowing his eyes at his father suspiciously. He had never liked a great deal of Macao's girlfriends; the only woman in Macao's life that Romeo seemed to approve of was Cana who, considering her drinking problem, wasn't exactly the best role model.

"Here's what you do if you want to get a girl's attention," Wakaba cut in, taking a puff from his pipe. "You give her a bunch of compliments and make sure she's all nice and buttered up, then you ask her on a date. She won't be able to say no."

Macao raised an eyebrow. "Don't you try that with Mirajane every day?"

"Yep, and our relationship is doing just fine," Wakaba said with a curt nod. His face fell. "Except for my wife. But if I wasn't married, Mira would be all over me."

Macao rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to his son. "Please, Romeo, are you going to listen to that old married fart" - he jabbed a thumb towards Wakaba, who retorted with a very vile gesture not fit for Romeo's eyes - "or are you going to listen to your old man?"

"Both of your suggestions suck," Romeo decided bluntly.

Macao made a face. "Well then, why don't you go ask Cana? She's a girl, so she'll know what to do. Don't you usually go to her for advice anyway, since she has those voodoo card things?"

"I can't," Romeo said, all the blood suddenly rushing to his face.

"Why not?"

"Because..." Romeo squirmed, gulping. "Because Cana is the girl I like!"

Macao, who had been taking a drink, did a classic spit-take. He gasped for breath, glancing at his son in disbelief. He had been expecting a little girl from school, or maybe even one of the younger guild members like Wendy, but _Cana_?

While Macao was busy pulling himself together, Wakaba peered at Romeo curiously. "Romeo, my man," he began solemnly. "Cana Alberona is not a _girl_. She is one hundred percent _woman_." He paused and broke into a proud grin, sticking his hand out for a high-five. "Nice choice."

Romeo, who had been expecting a scolding, smiled back and slapped his hand, racing off to find Mirajane and ask for her advice at Wakaba's suggestion. Macao gaped at his old drinking buddy, who gave him a look. "What?"

"You're encouraging that?" Macao exclaimed, sloshing what was left of his drink around. "Cana is twice his age!"

"C'mon, Macao," Wakaba drawled, raising an eyebrow at his friend, "It's just a little crush. Once he realizes that Cana is way out of his league, he'll back off and go for a little girl at school or something. You know that from experience. Remember your first crush? She wasn't no little girl if I recall correctly."

Macao sighed, remembering that he, too, had once desired his old babysitter when he was Romeo's age, a hot teenager by the name of Blythe. When he realized that she'd already had a boyfriend, he moped for a few days and went on with his life, turning his attentions to his pretty, younger next door neighbor.

"We both know that Cana's age isn't the thing that's bothering you," Wakaba continued, puffing little heart-shaped clouds of smoke from his pipe.

Macao crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Please, don't give me that 'I dunno' crap," Wakaba snorted. "You can fool everybody else, but you can't fool me. You've been in love with Cana since, maybe even before, you divorced your wife."

"She's _nineteen," Macao grimaced. "_I'm_ thirty-six."_

Wakaba shrugged. "Never stopped you before. How old was your last girlfriend?"

"Twenty-one," Macao mumbled.

"Exactly," Wakaba concurred with a nod. "Face it, you're keeping Cana at arms length 'cause you don't want her to see what a jerk you are. She's the only girl who really matters to you."

Macao had the urge to punch his best friend, a sign of brotherly affection like no other, but Mirajane was coming this way with a tray of alcoholic beverages and Wakaba's attention was otherwise preoccupied.

_/T.T\_

Romeo came into the guild the next day in the nicest clothes he owned, with his hair slicked back and brandishing a bouquet of roses. Avoiding the eyes of his father, who didn't know he had stolen the one tie in their house just for this occasion, he padded his way over to Cana.

She was seated like a goddess at the table closest to the bar, her first beer barrel of the day tipped high into the air. Romeo stopped and smiled blissfully. He'd always admired Cana's ability to chug ridiculous amounts of alcohol. She could even out-drink his father.

Cana slammed the empty barrel down with a sigh of contentment, smacking her lips. Now that she had finally had her first drink, she was ready to face the day.

She looked down to see Romeo holding a bundle of roses to her face. She raised an eyebrow. "What're you doing, kid?"

"These are for you," he said, wagging the roses in her face as if that might entice her to accept them. Cana took the flowers and peered into their delicate red petals suspiciously, expecting some kind of practical joke that children were so notorious for. But they seemed regular, if not just a tad wilted, red roses.

"What's this?" Cana finally inquired, gesturing to the roses.

"You don't like them?" Romeo asked, frowning. "Sorry they're a little bit dead, but those were all I could afford. They're a dozen roses, just for you. Girls like flowers, right?"

Cana frowned at him. "A dozen red roses, huh? You know what a dozen red roses stands for, kid?"

"Yeah, that's why I bought them!" Romeo exclaimed proudly. "A dozen red roses is the symbol for love!"

Cana could only stare. Romeo took this as a sign to go on. "Over the past few weeks, I've grown a lot. And I've realized that I like everything about you, Cana. I like your drinking, I like your gambling, I like that you'll play cards with me and let me win sometimes so you don't hurt my feelings, I like the way your hair smells, I like how you can be bossy sometimes, and I like that you don't assume I don't know anything just because I'm a kid. I figured that since I like so much about you it can only mean one thing: I'm in love with you!"

Again, Cana was speechless. Romeo got down on one knee and took her hand. "So, Cana Alberona," he breathed, aware that every pair of eyes was on them, "would you be my girlfriend?"

Romeo waited with baited breath in the silence of the guild, watching Cana's face go from white to red and then back to it's normal peachy shade. She gave a nonchalant sigh and handed him back the flowers. "Did your dad put you up to this?" she asked, glaring at an equally stunned Macao over Romeo's head. "Because it's not funny, Macao."

"No!" Romeo cried, claiming Cana's attention once more. "No, no, no, this isn't a joke! I'm really in love with you! Dad has nothing to do with it!"

"Look, kid, it's a nice gesture," Cana sighed, ruffling Romeo's hair so it stuck up in every direction. "Really, I'm flattered. But you're like, eight years old. I'm nineteen. It's never gonna work."

"It will too!" Romeo countered. "Dad dates younger women all the time! I don't see any reason why you can't date younger men! Eleven years isn't that big of a difference."

"That's 'cause your dad is creepy," Cana said blatantly, purposefully not looking at Macao's expression. She heard Wakaba chuckle though, before she continued. "And I'm no cougar. So I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to decline."

Romeo's little face looked so heartbroken that Cana almost felt bad. She turned away before she could do something she would regret later, and went back to her real boyfriend: alcohol.

"Oh, I see what's going on," Romeo said, causing Cana to turn back around. He had a thoughtful expression, scratching his chin in a manner so like his father that Cana felt her eyes soften a bit. "You don't think my love is true! You think that it's just a little crush. Well, it's not and I'll show you, Cana! I'll prove that I love you, and then you won't be able to say no!"

"Oh brother," Cana mumbled as he sprinted from the guild. She could tell that this little lovebug was going to be harder to squash than she thought.

_/T.T\_

At Cana's request, Macao had a long talk with his son.

"You can't date Cana," Macao simply put.

"Why not?" Romeo countered, ready to fight for his woman.

"Because she's too old. Think about it, Romeo. She was eleven already when you were born. Don't you think that's kind of weird?"

"But Dad, you date younger women all the time," Romeo pointed out. "Most of them are ten or twenty years younger than you. I don't see why it has to be any different with Cana and me."

"Things are different when you get older," Macao sighed. "You get more experience with life and it doesn't matter how many years you've been alive. Some people mature faster than others. But right now you're still a kid, and you don't have enough experience to date Cana."

"I have a lot of experience with life, Dad," Romeo scoffed. "You're just jealous."

"Me? Jealous? Of you?" Macao sputtered.

Romeo nodded. "Yeah. You're just jealous because I am romancing Cana and if she's with me then she won't have as much time to drink with you. I know that Cana is the only _real_ woman in your life, and I think she's a good influence on you. So don't worry, I'll share her time with you."

By this point Macao was completely stunned. He wasn't entirely sure what kind of people his son was talking to, but he definitely needed to figure it out and put a stop to it.

Romeo padded over to his shelf and grabbed his piggy bank, which had been refilled with the aid of a lemonade stand and (unbeknownst to Macao) the selling of the more scandalous parts of the Fairy Tail womens' wardrobes. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go to school. Tell Cana I'll be at the guild right after though, and tell her that I have a big surprise. Something that she'll love."

Macao watched his son hobble down the street to the school only a block away, his bookbag slung over one shoulder and the piggy bank situated under one arm. He combed his fingers through his hair, exasperated. How, _how_ had he managed to raise a boy like that?

_/T.T\_

"He has a surprise for me now," Cana drawled, scowling at Macao through glazed eyes. She narrowed them and jabbed a finger at the veteran mage in an accusing manner. "This is all _your fault_."

"How is it my fault?" Macao asked, bewildered.

"If you didn't sleep around with so many younger women and Romeo actually had a motherlyish figure in the household, he wouldn't be under the impression that such big age differences are appropriate," Cana explained. She would have sounded somewhat logical if her words weren't so slurred. "Even if you just picked one and stuck with her for a while, it wouldn't be so bad. But since I'm evidently the only constant woman in your life, your son has latched on to me with some kind of warped, freaky mindset that I can't even begin to comprehend."

"Yeah," Wakaba added.

"You can both just shut up," Macao growled. "Wakaba, you're the one who said that this would all blow over once he was rejected. And Cana, you're the one who has to prance around freakin' topless. I mean really, it's no wonder this kid's hormones kicked in early. So if you ask me, it's just as much your faults as it is mine."

Romeo burst into the guild, running right in Cana's direction. She rolled her eyes with relish and stared daggers at the kid who, once cute and tolerable, was now beginning to become a pest. "What d'you want, kid?"

"I ran...all the way here...just to see you!" Romeo wheezed, clutching a stitch in his side. He pulled his bookbag off of his shoulder and dug around until he found something. "And to give you...this!" He presented to her a bottle brimming with golden wine as thick as honey. Cana's eyes grew wide with wonder as she read the label, and her mouth flooded with saliva when she saw the date on the wine bottle. Romeo gave her a wide grin and wagged the expensive bottle of wine in her face, watching as her quick eyes followed its every move.

Macao's jaw dropped, partially with the good taste his son had in alcohol, partially for the amount of money needed to purchase such an exquisite bottle of wine, and partially because he didn't know anybody alive who would sell alcohol of any sort to an eight-year-old boy. "Where the hell did you get that?"

"I paid for it," Romeo assured his father, nodding vigorously. "With my own money too."

"That's not what I'm worried about!"

"Gimme!" Cana interrupted, launching herself off the table in pursuit of the wine. Romeo whisked it out of her grasp, causing Cana to fall right off of the table and flat on her face. She looked up at him with sorrowful eyes, gazing at the wine with a longing that no person should have felt towards an inanimate object. "What're you doing to me, kid? I thought you loved me."

"I do," Romeo said, grinning caddishly. "That's why, in exchange for this gift, I want a kiss."

That snapped everyone out of their reveries concerning the bottle. "What?" they all cried in unison, Cana's voice being the shrillest. It was then that Wakaba burst into hysterical fits of laughter, toppling off of the stool and onto the floor next to Cana. "I-I'm sorry!" he giggled. "It's just too much!"

"You...want a kiss...for that?" Cana squeaked, her eyes flickering towards the bottle.

Romeo nodded.

Cana bit her lip, considering. On one hand, Romeo was eight years old and Macao's son, which would make her extremely creepy on both accounts if she did give in and kiss him for the alcohol. But on the other hand...it was an incredibly _rare_ and _expensive_ and _delicious_ wine! She couldn't even begin to consider how the kid had managed to rake up the dough for that kind of thing (it was later that she heard about the missing bras and panties from her fellow Fairy Tail belles and put two and two together). And it wasn't like it had to be a long kiss. A little peck on Romeo's eight-year-old lips wouldn't be too bad. As for Macao...well, it wasn't like _he_ had shown any interest towards _her_, was it? She'd promised herself that she wouldn't pine over him like the other little girls with heads full of hot air, but she'd yet to get herself a boyfriend ever since she'd resolutely decided that she was in love with him. So...

Wine.

Her pride.

Wine.

Macao...

Wine?

"If you don't kiss me and take it then I'm gonna pour it down the sink," Romeo threatened, moving the bottle so it sparkled in the sunlight streaming from the windows of the guild and attracted Cana's attention. It was a total bluff (you know how many jewels he paid for that little bottle? He could've bought a house with all that money!) but, combined with the gold liquid shimmering in the sunlight, it seemed to be enough to win her over.

"Okay, okay!" Cana said desperately, gasping in horror at the thought of all that glorious wine carelessly being poured down the drain. Macao's jaw dropped in disbelief again. "I'll do it just d-don't - don't waste it like that!"

Romeo grinned from ear to ear. "Great! And it has to be on the lips okay?" Cana nodded, reaching for the bottle. Romeo frowned and hid it behind his back. "You don't get it until you kiss me."

"Right," Cana said, standing and trying to eye it from her stance above him. When the pause was too prolonged, Romeo cleared his throat and puckered his lips. Cana sighed with exasperation and got down on her knees, sneering. "It's not gonna be supper long, got it? Just a peck."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Most of the guild watched in anticipation, wondering if Cana was really going to kiss Romeo. Macao could only stare as Cana leaned forward, wincing as she did so, to kiss his son. It was really disgusting if he thought about it.

Then, three things happened all at once.

Romeo took a step back and sighed, prepared to deliver a long spiel about how he didn't want to start their relationship like this and how he'd come to realize that Cana cared more about the alcohol than kissing him, so he would just give it to her free of charge.

But before he could do that, Cana had lunged forward and snatched the wine bottle out of his grasp, holding it in the air with a triumphant cry.

Before Romeo or his father could process what had happened, Macao had stepped forward and shouted, "WAIT!" And, since Macao's exclamation was the loudest and the last to occur, every eye was trained on him. He looked around at the guild, at his surprised son, at the shocked Cana who still had the bottle held up in the air as a sign of victory.

"Uh...n-never mind," he said gruffly, rubbing his neck and turning a strange shade of purple. He ducked behind Wakaba, who was trying not to laugh and therefore prematurely break the silence.

"Cana!" Romeo shrieked, pointing to the bottle and her pose. "How could you?"

"Hey, you were the one blackmailing me into kissing you," Cana pointed out defiantly, cradling the wine in her arms. "I don't think you have any room to talk."

Romeo's eyes filled with tears. "Cana, you're so mean! I don't know what I ever saw in you!"

"I dunno either," Cana said, shrugging. She grinned at the bottle and hugged it to her chest, happy. "I'm just glad I got a new boyfriend!"

Romeo gaped, as disbelieving as his father. "You older girls are so mean! And stupid! Now I get why Dad dates younger ones!" He sighed and put his head in his hands. "I guess it was better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. Can we still be friends, Cana?"

Cana cracked a smile, ruffling his hair. "Sure, kid. As long as it's not to hard for _you,_ that is," she added in mock seriousness.

Romeo sighed as if putting down a heavy burden. "No, it's not. Honestly, I've had my eye on this other girl for a while. And she's my age. And _normal_."

"Bleh, normal," Cana said, wrinkling her nose. "Who needs 'em?"

Laughing, Romeo walked away to do whatever he did when he wasn't romancing Cana. The latter smiled at the bottle in her hands again and hugged it to her chest, relishing the feel of the cold glass against her skin. Just thinking about the sweet, honey-thick wine inside made her mouth water.

"You mind sharing?" Cana turned to spot Wakaba, who had a struggling Macao by the collar of his shirt. "With him, that is," he continued, depositing Macao at her feet. "I've never been one for wine. I'm more of a whiskey person, myself. Look, there's Mira now! Oh, Miraaa!"

As Wakaba left to hopelessly flirt with Mirajane, Macao scrambled to his feet. Cana raised her eyebrows, still hugging the wine. She was painfully aware of the cliché of it all; the rising tension, the big blow-out, the relief, and then the best-friend-forcing-the-two-possible-love-birds-together-and-hoping-they'll-confess-their-love bit on top of that? But she had to admit, she'd always been fond of clichés.

"So," she said, looking at the wine, "I hope you don't expect to get any of this. I know your son bought it and all, but it's just too valuable to give up. _I'm_ going to have to pace myself and make it last. _Me_. That's how you know it's the good stuff."

"Pace yourself and make it last, huh?" Macao said, raising an eyebrow. "Why not just down it all at once? If you let it sit open for too long, it'll go bad."

"Are we still talking about wine?" Cana asked, taking a step back as Macao stepped closer.

"I am if you are," Macao said in that devilish way he had, looming over her as her back pressed against the side of the bar. He put both hands on the counter top and grinned down at her, causing her heart to flutter in her chest (yes _her_! Cana Alberona, can you believe it? She was entirely aghast at herself) like a caged bird. His finger brushed the bottle and her hand. "You sure I can't have any?"

"Well," Cana breathed, "maybe just a drop." And just when she thought Macao was going to kiss her, just when she was closing her eyes and tilting her head up, he snatched the wine right out of her grasp and walked away with it. Walked away!

Cana's eyes snapped open, and it took her about a split second to process what had happened. Her face grew outraged. Macao felt the heat of her anger on his back (because if there was one thing _nobody_ did, it was steal Cana's alcohol) and laughed, sprinting out of the guild in a dead run.

"Hey! Get back here with my wine, you - " Cana let loose a string of insults that weren't suitable for children's ears or names for the man she supposedly loved. When he failed to do as he was told - no, _commanded_ - she growled and raced after him, not entirely sure where the hell they were going, but knowing only that she wanted her damn alcohol back.

* * *

**Cana and Macao - End**


	14. Aquarius and Scorpio

_**Summary: **Scorpio has been Aquarius's boyfriend for nearly two hundred years, and she is not under any circumstances going to let him go without a fight. But when he starts acting strangely, she becomes worried about the only thing that could possibly split her and Scorpio apart - the dreaded other woman. So, with the help of her fellow female Spirits and Lucy, she launches an investigation to figure out what secret Scorpio is keeping._

_*I'm not entirely familiar with the zodiac, so when the Spirits interact I took their personalities into account rather than their compatibility. It also makes for some entertaining banter! :D_

_I__don't own Fairy Tail...but I know what's going on my Christmas list!_

* * *

**Aquarius and Scorpio**

**by: SmurfLuvsCookies**

" - and don't bother me for a while. I'm going on a date with my boyfriend," Aquarius chimed as she dissipated into the Spirit world. She popped up again just long enough to warn Lucy not to summon Scorpio either, though he probably wouldn't have cared. But Aquarius cared, and _no_ woman, not even her owner, was going to make Scorpio leave her lonely when they were supposed to be on a date.

He was waiting for her in the Spirit world, his back turned. Aquarius brightened at the sight of him, and sunk up behind him. She placed her hands over his eyes with a smile, like she saw others do. "Guess who?"

Scorpio knew better than to purposely guess wrong. "Hi, Aquarius."

She released him and he turned around, coming face-to-face with her flirty grin. "You guessed right! Now as a prize you get to kiss me." She puckered her lips and closed her eyes in anticipation, but her face quickly fell into a frown when no kiss came. She opened an eye, taking in Scorpio's rather guilty expression. "I'm waiting," she sang, trying her best not to lose her temper. Aquarius was not a patient woman.

"I'm sorry, I can't," Scorpio said with a sigh. He looked as though he wanted to kiss her, then he sighed again and patted her on the head.

Patted. Her. On. The. Head.

As if she was some kind of cute little dog! Aquarius was not _cute_, she was gorgeous, and she was not _little_, and she was most certainly not some kind of _mangy mutt_! She was Aquarius the Water Bearer, and she should be treated as such! She struggled to contain her anger, biting her tongue but going very red in the face and scowling hellishly. Scorpio felt a melt down coming on, and chose to make his leave.

"Wait!" Aquarius spat, swimming in the air to catch up with him. "I thought we should go on a date today. Get something to eat in Earthland, maybe?"

"Not today," Scorpio dismissed, tentatively brushing her off. "Maybe tomorrow, okay?"

Aquarius did not like being dismissed, nor had anyone dared to brush her away when she was speaking to them. She let loose her pout hopelessly, her stomach sinking. Scorpio wasn't acting like himself. "Why?"

"I'm busy," he said simply, and that was that. He went on his way, leaving Aquarius and her famous pout where they stood. The pout always worked with Scorpio! Her sad, pitiful expression quickly turned into one of wrath and rage. _What_, exactly, was he so _busy_ with? That he didn't have time for _her_, his ever-loving girlfriend?

Aquarius didn't know, but she was certainly going to find out.

_/T.T\_

"I have called you all here today because I think something is going on with Scorpio, and you guys are the only ones I can trust with this top secret information," Aquarius began, looking around the circle, which consisted of all of Lucy's female Celestial spirits; Aries, Lyra, Virgo, and Mini (Gemi too, because Mini wouldn't come without him).

Aquarius had been leery at first, as she did not normally trust women. They were enemies, all of them, competing with her for Scorpio's attention even if it was unconsciously. But Aquarius felt that these women were to be trusted more than Lucy's male Celestial spirits, who might feel loyal to the kinder Scorpio and tell him what she was planning. Besides, Aries was too damn shy to try anything with Scorpio, Lyra was too annoying for Scorpio to even give her a chance, Virgo didn't have a will of her own so she would obey Aquarius, and Mini looked like an alien.

At least, that was Aquarius's reasoning.

"All right," she began, "something's been going on with Scorpio. Any of you guys know what it is?"

Thankfully, none of them did. Even if they had they wouldn't have said so. Imagine, another woman knowing something about Scorpio that Aquarius didn't...it sent shudders down everybody's spines.

"Fine then, any ideas as to how we find out?"

Gemini raised their hands in synchronization. Aquarius grimaced, knowing full well that they could do their freaky clone thing to Scorpio and find out everything, but not feeling entirely comfortable going that far. Yet.

When she said so, the twins shrugged and waited for somebody else to give a suggestion. Nobody did, and Aquarius sighed. "I bet that one of the boys knows what's going on...Aries!"

The Ram jumped, startled by Aquarius's harsh tone. "Y-yes?"

"Leo probably knows something, right?" Aquarius said, softening her voice a bit. She always forgot how timid Aries was. "He's buddies with Scorpio."

"_Loke_ is friends with Scorpio," Aries replied, putting emphasis on the Lion's new name like she always did when the other Spirits got it wrong. Aquarius rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever his name is now. Go pick his brain and see if he knows anything. Make him promise to keep his mouth shut if he gets suspicous."

"Um, I don't know if - "

"Do it!"

"I'll go do it," Virgo sighed, preparing to dig. "There's no reason to get him all worked up if he finds out you're bullying poor Aries over here."

"I wasn't bullying - "

But Virgo had already disappeared into the earth. Aquarius grumbled, narrowing her eyes bitterly at the hole. But, no matter, Virgo and Leo (Loke, whatever his name was) were pretty close too; practically brother and sister. She might not be as effective as Aries, but she'd do.

As for Aries, she had retreated into some kind of reclusive shell and didn't seem like she was going to say much else. Aquarius sighed, feeling somewhat guilty. Damn Scorpio, encouraging emotions such as these. Still, Aquarius refused to apologize. It wasn't _her_ fault that Aries had trouble standing up for herself.

"I'm going to see if Lucy knows anything," she continued, looking at the tiny group that was still assembled. "I'll be right back. Tell Virgo where I've gone if she comes back before me."

With that, she forced open her gate and went to hunt down her owner.

_/T.T\_

"LUUUUCYYYY!"

It wasn't an unusual occurrence for the blonde mage's name to be bellowed throughout the guild, but it was usually coming from a certain Fire Dragonslayer, and a sign that she was about to be assaulted in some form or another (by said Dragonslayer or otherwise). However, this time Lucy was so stunned by the voice from which her name was uttered that she didn't have the common sense to duck as was customary in such a circumstance.

She found Aquarius's angry face inches from her own, the Water Bearer's hands gripping her shoulders painfully. Lucy winced and wiggled about uncomfortably. "Aquarius? What are you doing here?"

"Why is Scorpio acting funny?"

"Huh?"

Aquarius let Lucy go with a dissatisfied huff, crossing her arms. "I said, why is Scorpio acting strange? He blew me off! Told me he was too_busy to go on a date!" The Celestial Spirit narrowed her eyes and stooped into Lucy's personal bubble in an intimidating manner. "Why? What did you do?"_

"Nothing! I haven't summoned Scorpio since...hm, I think it was Edolas..."

"You _think?"_

Lucy gave Aquarius a look. "Hey, don't yell at me. I don't know why Scorpio is acting weird, but I don't have anything to do with it. I can summon Crux if you want..."

"No!" Aquarius cried as Lucy dug around for her key. "If I wanted information from Sir Snores-A-Lot, I would have asked him myself in the Spirit world. I don't want Scorpio knowing I've been asking around, you know? So don't tell anybody about this conversation, got it?"

"Fine," Lucy sighed, "but I don't understand; if you're so worried about it, why don't you ask Scorpio yourself?"

Aquarius's face reddened. "My relationship with my boyfriend is none of your business!"

"You're the one coming to me for advice," Lucy pointed out, though this might have been stretching the truth a bit. Her voice became stern as she put her hands on her hips and looked Aquarius in the eye. "And I am your owner; Scorpio's too. So your relationship _is_ my business. If my Spirits are bickering amongst themselves, I need to know. It can determine whether I lose or win a battle." She softened her voice a little and attempted a smile. "Besides, I want my Spirits to be happy. You know you can trust me completely, Aquarius."

Aquarius sighed. She sometimes forgot how very much like Layla Lucy could be. "I don't want to ask Scorpio for a lot of reasons," she said, pouting. "What if he lies and I find out and I can never trust him again? Or worse, what if he tells the truth and I don't like the answer? What if...what if there's _another woman_."

"Scorpio won't lie to you," Lucy said after a moment of deliberate thought. "He's not that kind of person. And I don't think he's cheating on you either; again, because he's not that type. Scorpio is nice and sincere and true. And he loves you a lot, probably more than anybody else. If you ask him, he'll tell you the truth. I don't think it's going to be as bad as you think."

Aquarius's stomach twisted at the thought of asking Scorpio anything, but she nodded. Then she gave Lucy a sinister smirk. "What d'you mean, 'probably'?"

Lucy blanched, imagining her punishment for such a slip up of words.

"You better watch it," Aquarius warned, poking Lucy's forehead somewhat affectionately and somewhat threateningly. As she faded back into the Spirit world, she allowed herself a gentle smile. "And, Lucy? Thanks."

Before she was gone, she thought she heard a soft, "Any time, Aquarius."

But maybe it had only been her imagination.

_/T.T\_

Virgo dutifully reported that Leo hadn't heard anything from Scorpio. There was really no need, considering the fact that Leo was standing right beside her when she rattled off their conversation.

"Thanks, Virgo," Aquarius sighed, shaking her head. She turned to Leo. "And what do you want? This is an investigation lead by women only."

"I figured you'd want to take me into custody," Leo teased in his usual coquettish manner. He held up his wrists, grinning. "Got any handcuffs?"

"Go away," Aquarius growled, scowling.

"Gemi's not a woman," Leo pointed out. "And neither is Plue, as far as I know."

She whipped around to see Plue shivering behind Lyra's skirts. The Lyre blushed guiltily, patting the Canis Major's head. "I was just wandering around and he started following me. It was too cute, so I told him he could join in on the investigation."

Aquarius turned back to Leo, simmering. "Gemi won't say anything if Mini doesn't, and Plue can't talk. You, on the other hand, are very close friends with Scorpio and you are perfectly capable of spilling the beans. So scram, kitty!"

"Don't call me kitty," Leo objected with an irritable sigh, "and if you don't let me join, I'll tell Scorpio what you're doing. I doubt he'll be too happy about it once he hears that you were planning to use Gemini."

"That's blackmail!" Aquarius shrieked, "and I wasn't planning on using Gemini!"

Leo just shrugged.

"Fine!" Aquarius snapped, fuming. She figured that Leo couldn't alert Scorpio if he was here, and, anyway, he probably only cared because Virgo had hinted that she was bullying Aries; which, of course, was completely false. "But it doesn't matter, because I've decided to just ask him what's going on."

"Really? You're actually going to _ask_?" Leo snickered. "This ought to be interesting."

Aquarius lead the way, mumbling under her breath. Damn Leo, he put her in a sour mood. She took a deep breath and concentrated on clearing her emotions. She needed to be the adoring girlfriend whenever she asked Scorpio what was -

Wait a second!

She screeched to a halt, causing Aries to ram (no pun intended) right into her. "Sorry, sorry," the shy Spirit murmured, her shoulders shooting up and and her head ducking down. Aquarius paid no mind. She looked at them all beseechingly.

"Why are you all _following_ me?" she demanded, her right eye twitching.

"We thought we were supposed to..." Virgo said, sharing a glance with Aries.

"I just wanted to see the show," said Leo.

"We wanted to available if you needed us," Gemini chirped.

"I wanted to play a soothing, romantic song!" Lyra cheered.

Plue shrugged.

"No! This is going to be a deep, emotional talk between Scorpio and me," Aquarius snapped, fixing them all with a solid glare. "None of you are to listen in, do you hear me? If I find out that one of you did..."

She let her threat hang in the air, then went back on course, glancing over her shoulder once to make sure that no one was trying to be sly and sneak after her. They were all in their proper places, talking amongst themselves.

Scorpio was lounging against a tree, counting the leaves. Aquarius felt her anger surge and her heart break simultaneously. _This_ is what be was so busy doing? He would rather slack off beside a freaking _tree_ than go on a date with _her_?

She stopped behind him, her bottom lip trembling. Lucy had been terribly, terribly wrong. The truth was worse than she thought; he wasn't even ditching her for another woman! He was ditching her for nothing!

Before she could stop it, she had burst into an episode of boisterous, free-flowing tears. Scorpio jumped and wheeled around to see her sobbing and sniffling. He reeled. "Aquarius? What's wrong?"

"Y-you lied to meee!" she bawled. "You're not b-busy! You're - avoiding - meeee!"

She delved into a new fit of wails that would have made a banshee jealous. Scorpio looked horror-struck, confused, and at a complete loss of what to do. Finally, once her crying receded to a manageable volume, he explained.

"I'm not avoiding you, Aquarius, what are you talking about?" he began.

"You said you were busy!" she accused, her sorrow quickly morphing into an awesome wrath. "Too busy to go on a date with me! But you're sitting here doing nothing! You lied to me!"

Understanding dawned on Scorpio's face, which became frantic soon afterward. "No, no, no, you've got it all wrong! I'm not avoiding you, I swear!"

"Then why are you here?" Aquarius inquired, roughly brushing tears from her eyes. "Why would you rather be here than on a date with me?"

Scorpio squirmed. "I...I can't tell you."

"Why _not?" said Aquarius furiously._

"I'll explain tomorrow," Scorpio promised.

"No, you'll explain now!" Aquarius commanded, scowling. "Why don't you want to tell me? Whatever it is, I won't care! Just tell me!" Then she realized that she was no longer asking, and cursed under her breath. "Damn Leo..."

"What?" Scorpio said, blinking.

"Nothing - Leo, he was saying that I wouldn't be able to _ask_ you what was wrong, that I would - hey, no, we're getting off topic here!" Aquarius said, clutching her head in confusion.

"You talked to Loke today?" Scorpio hissed. "What did he say?"

"Leo - Loke, whatever - didn't say much of anything. I think he only became part of the investigation because he thought I was being mean to Aries; which I wasn't!" Aquarius stopped, putting a hand over her mouth. She'd said too much.

"Investigation? What investigation?"

"I...I got all the girls together and asked people what was wrong with you today. I was just worried that maybe you - you didn't - you were seeing somebody else without telling me." Aquarius hung her head, ashamed. "I'm sorry, Scorpio, I know you're not like that. I just got so worried."

"Wow, she actually apologized!"

This sentence was followed by a smothered protest and a creaking of branches. Aquarius and Scorpio both looked up sharply, to see much of the "investigation" team lounging up in the tree. Aries had put a hand over Lyra's mouth after she'd spoken, and they both would have tumbled from the tree if not for Gemini.

"What are you all doing?" Aquarius shrieked, forgetting to be the sweetheart girlfriend in her surprise. Really, that ship had already sailed when the conversation started. Well, at least now she wouldn't have to be happy-go-lucky _all_ the time around Scorpio. She would say that it was an act, but most of the time it wasn't; she was generally sincerely happy to see her boyfriend.

"We couldn't resist listening in," Leo said, hopping out of the tree with Virgo and Plue as Gemini lowered Lyra and Aries to the ground. Aquarius looked ready to strangle him, but he chuckled and held up a hand. "I know you're mad at me, but I'm about to say something that will make up for it. So don't fight me just yet."

Aquarius, intrigued, held back.

Leo looked at Scorpio. "I relinquish you from our bet," he said, grinning at everyone's shocked face. "And I'll do that little favor you asked. This was entertaining, and I pity you."

"What is he talking about?" Aquarius said, turning towards a guilty-looking Scorpio. "What bet?"

"Loke and I made a bet that if I didn't embrace you all day then he would cover for us with Lucy while we went on a month vacation to the beach," Scorpio explained. "I don't want her to summon one of us while we were gone, but I don't want her to not have a Spirit to call if she needs one. That's why I said I was busy and couldn't go on a date; I know that on most of our dates we end up kissing. I figured a month at the beach with you was worth it." He looked exhausted. "I'm glad you came when you did. It was more difficult than I thought."

Aquarius swooned, blushing. "Oh, Scorpio! You're so nice." She stopped and gave him a murderous scowl. "But if you ever do something like this to me again, I will flay you until you can't move, understand?"

"Is that a threat," Scorpio said, grinning, "or a promise?"

"Okay!" Leo interrupted, placing his hands over Plue's nonexistent ears. "We have little children-like creatures here, people. Let's give them a little privacy before somebody is mentally scarred for life."

"Too late," Gemini quipped.

"Oh, and Leo - Loke - whatever your name is," Aquarius said, still beaming at Scorpio. "If you do something like this again, I won't hesitate to maim you and toss your remains into the ocean, are we clear?"

Leo waved a dismissal hand, a Gemini twin on each shoulder, Plue nesting in his mane of hair, and Aries claiming his other hand. Virgo strode in front of him, walking backwards and fussing with his tie. Lyra floated above them all, stringing a slow, romantic song on her lyre.

Aquarius and Scorpio watched them leave, then turned back to each other. "So, when are we going to the beach?" Aquarius asked, batting her eyelashes. She'd have to be sugary sweet all month to make up for this outburst. She didn't want Scorpio thinking she was some kind of hormonal maniac; if he didn't already.

"Now, I think," Scorpio replied, offering his arm. Aquarius squealed with glee and hugged it, and together they walked (or in Aquarius's case, floated?) into the sunset.

* * *

**Aquarius and Scorpio - End**


	15. Lisanna and Bixlow II

_**Summary: **...eh, because I felt like it. _

_*As I was skimming through my reviews for requests and ideas (have I mentioned that I love you guys?) I noticed that this one had the most requests for a sequel. Sooo...here you go! Yay! I had to battle some serious writer's block for this, but I think it turned out okay._

_Hiro Mashima, if you're reading this...can you please give me Fairy Tail? You can still do all the work! :D_

* * *

**Lisanna and Bixlow II**

**by: SmurfLuvsCookies**

When Lisanna felt the sudden wave of I'll-rip-your-throat-out irritation enter the guild, she grinned widely and shot out of her seat to look for the source of it. There they were; the Raijinshuu, glaring at each other murderously. They'd been gone on a mission for an entire week, and, like every other time they came back after a particularly lengthy trip, all they wanted to do was get away from each other.

"They're back!" Lisanna chirped, grabbing her sister's attention. Mira looked up and smiled when she saw Fried. Lisanna craned her neck, looking for Bixlow, but she didn't see him anywhere.

"Lookin' for me?"

Lisanna jumped and wheeled around, coming face-to-face with a very ennui-struck Bixlow. He gave her a lazy Bixlow grin and ordered something from Cana, who had taken over the bartending duties while Mira greeted Fried. His "babies" zoomed forward, nudging Lisanna affectionately. Bixlow had once expressed his surprise that they'd warmed up to her so fast. She could even address them all by their correct name, a feat which Bixlow said had taken Fried forever to accomplish and Evergreen hadn't even bothered to try.

"Please, don't flatter yourself," Lisanna remarked airily, shooting him a grin. She was, in truth, very happy to see him. "Well okay, maybe I am. This week has been so _boring_ without you! How was the mission?"

"Long," Bixlow sighed. Lisanna imagined he was rolling his eyes behind his visor. "Been doin' nothin' all week but vanquishing a buncha ghouls from some chick's castle. Pain in the ass and a waste of time, if you ask me. It was her 'summer retreat' first of all, and I didn't get any freakin' sleep. The ghouls kept makin' noise. But Fried didn't wanna be _rude_ and refuse the chick's request for us to stay in the castle. Damn pushover."

"I see," Lisanna said, ordering a drink from Cana.

"And we didn't even get paid 'cause Evergreen accidentally turned one of her gardeners into stone!" Bixlow continued, becoming very irked. "She claims he snuck up behind her and scared her. She turned around so fast that her glasses fell off and shattered. We had to get her a new pair."

"That sucks," Lisanna agreed.

"It does," Bixlow nodded. "And if all that wasn't enough, the chick's monster of a guard dog kept tryin' to chew on my babies. He attacked us! I got maimed!" He pulled up his shirt to show her the bandages that wound around his torso. "He also chewed up part of Peppe's face. Been flyin' weird all week."

"You need another drink," Lisanna said, trying to get Cana's attention.

"Nah, I'm gonna go home," Bixlow replied, setting his drink down and hopping off the stool. "I haven't got any shut-eye for three days straight. I need some sleep. Later."

"Bye-bye, Lisanna!" Pappa quipped, doing a lap around her head before following Bixlow out of the guild.

"Bye!"

"Later, Lisanna!"

"See ya!"

"Okay, bye!" Lisanna waved, smiling as the babies did a series of impressive loops and swirls for her. They were so cute...in a strange sort of way. She smiled to herself. The babies had deemed her their new favorite person, but Bixlow had once informed her that they had no mind of their own; they projected _his_ feelings and _his_ thoughts, no matter how much he might pretend they didn't. She hadn't bothered to point this out to him, but it did still give her a little chuckle now and then. Because somewhere deep down Bixlow liked her, whether he admitted it to himself or not.

She shrugged to herself, hopping off of the stool. Well, there had to be some reason he kept her around. He might not respect her magical power like he did Fried and Laxus and Evergreen, but he was certainly fond of her. Otherwise he would've told her to buzz off. It wasn't like Bixlow to be polite.

Lisanna kicked something as she walked towards a full table. She frowned, picking it up. It was Peppe; the one whose face was mauled by the dog during the mission. Peppe gave a feeble wobble in her hand and a squeaky groan. Lisanna frowned, cradling the small doll in her hands. Poor little Peppe.

_Oh no! she thought. __Peppe must have collapsed when Bixlow was trying to leave! The dolls were Bixlow's most prized possessions, there was no doubt about that; he'd be very upset when he learned that one was missing. __I better go take this to him_, she decided. She gently placed Peppe in the pocket of her jacket and rushed from the guild and into the chilly winter day.

_/T.T\_

_Why?_

This was the only thought that went through Bixlow's mind when he heard the obnoxious banging emitting from the front door. He'd literally just laid down to take a nap after lighting a fire and ensuring that his babies were in hibernation mode. Peppe was missing, but that was no big deal; they sometimes went on their own escapades, generally when Bixlow was forgetting something. Peppe couldn't have wandered off too far, what with the harsh weather and his new injury. He'd be back soon.

All Bixlow wanted in life was to get a good nights sleep. Was that too much to ask? He didn't think so, and he was much too comfortable to get up and answer the door. Whoever it was would give up eventually, once they figured out that he either wasn't home or was ignoring them.

Fifteen minutes later, Bixlow was certain that this irksome, infuriating person had completely dedicated themselves to the cause of standing on his front porch, banging on the door, until he answered it. It had gotten to the point that his semi-conscious dreams consisted of a fist hitting the metal of his visor, again and again. He irritably opened one eye, shooting a glare in the direction of the front door. He was all kinds of sore; he shouldn't have to put up with this shit.

With a groan he rolled out of bed and trudged to the door, opening it to reveal a flushed and wind-swept Lisanna. It looked like she had run all the way here. She had something in her hands; with a start, Bixlow realized it was Peppe, his missing doll.

"I've been waiting out here for nearly twenty minutes!" Lisanna cried, nudging past him and into the toasty house. Bixlow shrugged and closed the door behind her before the cold could leech in. He turned to see Lisanna pacing the room, looking worriedly at Peppe in her freezing red hands. "I found him on the floor of the guild and he looked really bad so I thought I'd bring him to you, but when I was about halfway here he started coughing and wheezing and wouldn't reply when I said his name, so I ran here because I thought that maybe he was hurt or sick or something and I didn't want you to be upset if he died or - well, I don't know if souls can die, but I just didn't - never mind! Here, fix him!"

With this she thrust her hands forward, giving Bixlow a look at poor little Peppe. It was true that he didn't look too good; the gashes on his face were growing wider, and he was giving quiet little coughs. Bixlow tilted his head to the side, confused. He'd never seen anything like it.

"S'no big deal," he proclaimed finally, stifling a yawn. "I just gotta get a new container for him."

"Huh?" Lisanna said.

Bixlow gave a dismissive wave of his hand. "Put him on the table and start some coffee or somethin'. You know where everything is, right? I'll be right back." Lisanna stared after him, abashed, as he drifted back into his room and dug around until he found spare tiki doll. It wasn't exactly the same as Peppe's old doll, but it'd do.

He came back out to find that Lisanna had draped her coat over the arm of the couch and taken off her boots. He stared at the clothing items blankly; they were a sign that she was planning to stay. He wasn't entirely sure if he was pleased or pissed yet.

Lisanna came in from the kitchen, still a bit red in the face from the cold. "You were out of coffee, so I put on some tea. Is Peppe going to be okay?"

"Yeah - " Bixlow stopped short and scowled. Peppe (the old, broken Peppe) was whizzing around the room excitedly, as if he was not on the brink of keeling over just a few moments ago. He whirled around Lisanna's head, much to her surprise, and zoomed right into Bixlow's forehead. He swore, rubbing the sure-to-be-bruised spot, and continued with his glaring. Peppe knocked into his head again, as if telling him to stop looking so angry.

Lisanna giggled. "I guess he's okay."

"Yeah, he's just peachy," Bixlow grumbled, shooting Peppe a disdainful look. There had never been anything wrong with the stupid soul; he was just a conniving little brat. "I should probably still change him though. There's nothin' else I can really do."

He transferred Peppe's soul into the new doll and sent him up with the others for rest. Lisanna smiled and shook her head, trembling with laughter. "What?" Bixlow said.

"You're funny," she replied, "you treat them like they're real people, or pets. It's...cute." She stopped and went crimson as Bixlow shot her his famous grin. "I meant that they were cute! Not that you're not - oh, you know what I meant, so don't give me that look!"

"Yeah, yeah," Bixlow said, waving a hand and still grinning wolfishly, "but they are kinda like real people."

"I thought you said you controlled them?" Lisanna said, confused. "They're...like little figments of you. Little Bixlows."

"They're more like...imaginary friends," Bixlow decided. He'd never had a conversation remotely like this one, so he didn't really know how to explain it. He supposed an imaginary friend was pretty close. "Imaginary friends are real to whoever thought 'em up, right? Even though they're just part of that person's imagination. They're kinda like that...'cept other people can see 'em."

"So you're basically an over sized five-year-old," Lisanna teased.

Bixlow grinned again. "Basically." He paused, and his grin became even wider. "Little Bixlows...I like it. Now I know why you were so worried about Peppe."

Lisanna opened her mouth to retort, but the shrill whistle of the teakettle interrupted her. She jabbed a finger in his direction as he passed to retrieve it. "You're lucky," she said. Bixlow rolled his eyes and poured them two cups of tea and together they migrated out of the drafty kitchen and into the warm living room, where Lisanna prodded at the fire until it was quite sizable.

There was no sight funnier than that of Bixlow sipping from a teacup, Lisanna decided. The thought made her choke into her own tea, fighting back bubbles of laughter. Bixlow gave her a look that clearly said he thought she was being ridiculous. "Seriously, what is your problem today?" he asked.

"It's just funny watching you drink tea," Lisanna chortled, mopping up her mess. "Tea drinkers are generally dignified and fancy, but you're...well, you're Bixlow."

Bixlow frowned and ran a hand through his uneven blue-and-black hair, attempting to slick it back. He crossed his legs and stuck his pinkie high in the air, quirking an eyebrow at Lisanna before he sipped the remainder of his tea. "How's this? Better?" he asked in a posh accent.

Lisanna howled with laughter, wishing that she had a camera. Bixlow relaxed his rigid stance and his face morphed into yet another tongue-lolling grin, exposing his guild tattoo to its fullest. He put his teacup down and stretched, wincing as a dull pain traveled up his back. He rolled his shoulders, urging his back to pop, but it didn't.

"Did you do something to your back on your trip?" Lisanna inquired, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes.

"Yeah, just that damn dog jumped on me and knocked me down a couple stairs," Bixlow explained, wiggling uncomfortably. "It's mainly my back that's been botherin' me."

"I could help!" Lisanna said, raising her hand in the air with the demeanor of an eager student answering a question. "When Elfman did full-body transformations, I had to pop his back and stuff whenever he changed back. It's easy."

"I dunno..." Bixlow said, uncertain.

"Come on, if you just ignore little stuff like this then you'll throw your back out all the time when you get older," Lisanna chastised, hopping off the couch. "Just lay down and let me do my thing."

Bixlow reluctantly laid down on his stomach and rested his chin on his arms. He heard Lisanna crack her knuckles and felt suddenly terrified. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all...

But then she straddled his back, gently resting her palms on either side of his spine. Bixlow grinned like an idiot. He could definitely get used to this.

"Ready?" Lisanna asked above him.

"Wait, what're you gonna - GAAAH!" Lisanna had pushed her weight forward into her hands, and what transpired was a series of pops and cracks that were both painful to hear and be subjected to. Bixlow groaned, burying his face in the pillow of the couch.

"Um...are you okay, Bixlow?" Lisanna said tentatively, biting her lip. She hadn't realized that his back was so out of whack. But hey, it popped.

"No," he moaned, his voice muffled from the pillow, "get off me, and don't touch me ever again."

"I think you're being a bit dramatic," Lisanna huffed, obliging to his request. She put her hands on her hips and watched him lay face-down on the couch, immobile. Then she narrowed her eyes and grabbed his hand, giving it a good tug. "Come on, get up. You'll feel better."

Bixlow unearthed himself just long enough to reply with a curt "no" and slammed his face back down into the depths of the fluffy pillow. Lisanna scowled and heaved, using the coffee table for support. Bixlow was a lot bigger than she was, and she was having a lot of trouble getting him up. Eventually, though, she annoyed him enough that he surrendered to her pestering and dragged himself off the couch.

He'd made his decision rather suddenly, so Lisanna was still pulling his hand with all of her might. Before she knew it Bixlow was there, right there, giving her a look similar to that of a bear just roused early from hibernation. But as he stood there, looking down at her, his expression softened a bit. Lisanna blinked up at his face with wide eyes. Once you got passed the hair and the sharp angles, Bixlow was actually fairly handsome. His face was just so overwhelming that you didn't notice it right away.

Just as it occurred to her that if she'd wanted to kiss him, now would be the perfect time, the door to the house opened and they both jumped so high into the air that Lisanna tripped over the coffee table and Bixlow tumbled onto the couch. Fried strode in, looking mildly surprised to see Lisanna at all, much less splayed half on the floor and half on the coffee table.

"Hello, Lisanna..." he said, closing the door. "Um, Mira's looking for you...she's at your house."

"Okay then, I better go," Lisanna said, scrambling off the ground and grabbing her coat. Her face was on fire and her heart was thumping loudly in her chest. She wouldn't be surprised if Fried and Bixlow could hear it.

"I'll walk you," Bixlow offered, as eager to get away from Fried and the previous events as Lisanna was.

As he passed Fried on the way to his room, the runes mage gave a rare mischievous smile. "Did I interrupt something?" he asked, eyes glittering with amusement. Bixlow shoved him, grumbling something that sounded suspiciously like "shut up" and went to go get some warmer clothes on.

_/T.T\_

He'd meant to kiss her on the cheek.

They'd been walking to her house, chatting as usual, as if nothing strange had occurred within the past hour. That suited Bixlow just fine; he'd rather forget about it anyway. Lisanna had tormented him enough today, what with her hellish back massage, without thoughts of her seeping into his sleep.

Bixlow had long before decided that Lisanna was absolutely the worst creature on the face of the planet. To have such influence over him with a simple smile was insane. He already stayed awake most nights, staring up at his ceiling, wondering...if a smile was so gratifying, what might a kiss me like? Fried often woke to find his roommate repeatedly ramming his head into the wall in frustration.

So that little episode in his living room had helped nothing. It would have been superb if she'd freaking kissed him, but Fried had to interrupt! Bixlow was waiting for Lisanna to make the first move. However, he possessed few virtues and patience was one of the ones he lacked.

"I'm really glad you're back," Lisanna said, pausing as she reached for the front door. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, flushing too much for it to be solely from the cold. "I kind of missed you."

Bixlow gritted his teeth. Patience... "Kind of?"

"Yeah, kind of," Lisanna said, sticking out her tongue teasingly.

And it was then that Bixlow decided that he would give her a little nudge in the right direction, something to say, 'Hey, you're torturing me and I can't sleep because of you, so how about we get this show on the road?' A little peck on the cheek, as cheesy and horrendously tantalizing as it was, would do the trick.

Unfortunately for Bixlow, Lisanna turned around to say something at that exact moment.

As you can imagine, the kiss did not land on her cheek.

Bixlow thought about pulling away, but figured the "what the hell, I'm already screwed anyway," mentality was the way to go in this instance. He instead tilted his head and made the kiss deeper, grabbing Lisanna's waist and pressing her forward. She didn't seem to mind; in fact, not entirely sure what she was doing, Lisanna reached up to undo the clasp that fixed Bixlow's mask to his face. She felt Bixlow shudder, and she had a feeling that it wasn't from the cold.

Both of their heads were spinning and, despite the fact that it was dead winter, they couldn't have been warmer. Bixlow reluctantly took the mask out of her hands and backed off with one last disorienting kiss, exercising an enormous amount of restraint as he did so. He wanted nothing more than to stay here and let this continue, but knew it was time to go; besides, he was getting ready to drop dead from exhaustion. His babies were frozen in midair, as if shocked that such a thing had just happened. Then they zoomed all around in celebration, knocking their master on the head more than a couple times.

"Um, they're a little whacked out from the trip, so I better go..." he said, corralling them into his arms.

"Okay...um, I'll see you tomorrow?" Lisanna said, peeking up at him hopefully.

"Tomorrow, definitely tomorrow!" Peppe exclaimed, escaping from Bixlow's arms. The other babies followed up with a chorus of "Bye-bye, Lisanna!" and "See you tomorrow!" Bixlow eventually grabbed them all and sprinted across the lawn before he or his babies could say or do anything else he might regret later.

Lisanna had just turned around to walk inside when Mirajane burst out, throwing her arms around her neck and weeping into her shoulder. "Oh, my baby sister's first kiss! I can't believe it, I just can't believe it! You're growing up so fast - !"

"_Mira!_" Lisanna shrieked, scandalized. "Where you _watching_ - ?"

"He was a bit too touchy, wasn't he?" Elfman mumbled, looking disgruntled.

"Oh my - I can not believe you two! You were watching me and that's - that's so _gross_! Both of you get inside now! We need to talk about - about - "

"Protection!" Mira gasped, snapping into attention. "I need to catch up with Bixlow - "

"No! Mirajane, for goodness' sake, get in the house _right now!_"

"Bixlow! Hey, Bixlow, come here! I need to talk to you!"

"_MIRAJANE!_"

"He's a little old for you," Elfman continued crossly. "Real men date women their age."

Lisanna groaned and put her head in her hands, never having been more mortified in her life. But she smiled, despite herself; with a family like Elfman and Mirajane, and a crush like Bixlow, had she really expected any aspect of her love life to be normal?

But still, besides the fact that her brother was rambling on about Bixlow not being a real man and her sister was hunting him down to talk about protection, she wouldn't have had it any other way.

* * *

**Lisanna and Bixlow II - End**


	16. Evergreen and Elfman II

_**Summary: **Evergreen in dignified, Evergreen is serious, Evergreen is adult, and Evergreen is secretly addicted to shojo manga. The last person she wants to find out about it is Elfman - so who's the first to discover it?_

_***Bad news!** I'm afraid that, although you guys have requested a lot of couples, **I don't have any ideas left**. I've used up all of my original ideas, the ones that began this story, and now I'm making it up as I go along. My well of ideas is all dried up and shriveled like a raisin. A raisin!_

_This fact, on top of the start of a new school year, has hardened my resolve. So, without further ado, **I hereby forewarn you that the next two chapters will be the last **and then **I am bringing **_**A Most Powerful Magic **___**to an end**. It's quite saddening, and I'm very sorry my brain refuses to produce plot bunnies. DON'T HATE ME!_

_I don't own Fairy Tail, no matter how many stars I wish upon. It still belongs to Mashima Hiro._

* * *

**Evergreen and Elfman II**

**by: SmurfLuvsCookies**

"Pssst! Bookworm girl!"

Levy blinked up from her book, looking around in bewilderment for the source of the hissing voice. Someone tugged on her hair, and she twisted around to discover Evergreen crouched behind her chair, trying to be sneaky but not succeeding at all. "Evergreen? What's up?"

"Follow me," Evergreen mouthed, pointing in the direction of the guild archive room. Levy, perplexed but curious, set down her book and followed Evergreen as she crawled past the counter and into the back of the guild, waiting until they were safely under the cover of the towering bookshelves to speak.

"So...you read a lot, right?" Evergreen said bluntly, crossing her arms over her chest and peering at Levy through her glasses.

"Yes..."

"What kinds of books do you read, exactly?" Evergreen continued, unperturbed by Levy's strange looks and demeanor.

"A little bit of everything," Levy said vaguely. "Are you wanting to borrow something...?"

"You're smart," Evergreen praised brusquely. "Yes, I would like to know if you have any...that is to say..._shojo manga_?" She whispered the last two words, as if they were shameful.

Levy was even more confounded. "Shojo manga is a pretty broad category. Do you have anything specific in mind?"

Evergreen nodded and dug around in her pocket, extracting a long list of titles. Levy blinked and skimmed through the titles, most of which (Levy was relatively surprised to find) were geared towards thirteen-year-old girls. She glanced back up at Evergreen, who was studiously avoiding her gaze.

"These are the books you want?" Levy said in disbelief.

"Yes, do you have a problem with that?" Evergreen clipped.

"No, I guess not...I just can't really see you reading this stuff..."

"Well, why do you think I've asked to meet you in secret?" Evergreen scoffed. "If anybody from the guild knew that I read such trash, my entire reputation would be ruined. Not even Fried and Bixlow know, though I think Fried has his suspicions. I stole _Romeo x Juliet_ from him last Christmas," she confided.

"I see..." Levy said, glancing down again at the list. "Well, I think we might have some of these back here, actually."

"Really?" Evergreen said in surprise, looking around the dusty volumes. "I thought these were all just boring, historical books."

"No, we had a lot of teenage girls join the guild all at once," Levy explained, leading Evergreen through winding shelves. "We all chipped in and bought a little library for ourselves." They stopped at a small corner of the archives, where fifty or so volumes of varying shades of pink and red were gathered. They were the only shiny, clean-looking books in the entire archives, it seemed.

Evergreen felt her eyes light up. Oh, entire adventures, untouched by greedy twelve-year-old hands, untarnished by waiting that was required for the library! Mindless hours of stupid fluff and reckless abandon, oh the wonder...!

Aware that Levy was staring at her, she quickly cleared her throat and smoothed her skirts, trying to looked dignified as if the books were just a trivial whim and nothing more. "Very well then, thank you, bookworm girl," she sniffed, clearly dismissing her.

"The name's Levy," the blue-haired mage said, smiling. "And it's no problem. Enjoy!"

Levy turned on her heel and padded out of the archives, running her fingers familiarly over the spines of the books as she did so. Evergreen peered at the titles with glee, grabbing twenty or so volumes before searching in vain for a table or chair. Finding none, she dusted off a space for herself on the floor next to the shojo and sat there, excitement pushing down her disgust as she cracked open the first in a very long series of fluff.

_/T.T\_

"Anybody seen Evergreen?" Elfman asked, looking around. He could've sworn he'd seen her just a few moments ago, drinking with the other Raijinshuu, but she'd suddenly disappeared.

"She's right - " Fried began, pointing to behind him, only to discover that Evergreen was no longer sitting there. "Oh, I guess not. I don't know where she went. Bixlow, did you see Evergreen?"

Bixlow raised one lack hand in the direction of the bar. "She went that way," he drawled in a drunk stupor, sliding off of his stool soon afterward with a heavy thud. Fried shook his head, swatting away one of Bixlow's dolls, which were lazily whirring through the air in lethargic loops.

"He had his annual drinking contest with Cana today," Fried explained, giving the unconscious Bixlow a look of disdain. "It didn't work out well for him, as usual. Now that I think about it, perhaps that's why Evergreen suddenly disappeared." He gave Bixlow another look and nudged him with his foot. "If you see Lisanna, will you ask her if she can help me drag this idiot home?"

"Yeah, sure," Elfman said, casting Bixlow a wary glance before heading towards the bar. He sat down next to Mirajane, who poured him his usual drink.

"What's wrong, Elfman?" Mira inquired, blinking at her brother curiously.

"Can't find Evergreen," he mumbled. "You seen her? I think she's been avoiding me all week."

"I haven't seen her," Mira said sympathetically. "Sorry, Elfman. Jet, have you seen Evergreen?"

"Nope, but she was talking to Levy earlier," Jet answered, jabbing a thumb at the sold-script mage, whose face was hidden behind a thick novel. "She wouldn't tell us what Evergreen wanted with her."

"Sounds suspicious," Mira agreed, tapping her chin. "Evergreen doesn't ever really talk to Levy. What would she want with her now?"

Elfman made his way over to Levy, who peered over the edge of her book as his shadow blocked out her light. "Hi, Elfman," she said cheerfully, setting it down on her lap.

"Do you know where Evergreen is?"

"She might be in the archives," Levy answered. "She's been spending a lot of time back there, reading."

"Why would Evergreen be reading?" Elfman muttered, more to himself than Levy.

The bookworm grinned. "I'm sworn to secrecy," she said.

"Okay," Elfman said, his curiosity spiking. "Thanks, Levy, I'll go look there."

He elbowed his way over to the archives, but was sidelined by Natsu, with whom a conversation quickly spiraled into a guild brawl. Bound by his masculinity, he was forced to stop looking for Evergreen entirely. But as Elfman was barging though the tangle of limbs, ready to shout something manly at Natsu and Gray, he was suddenly punched in the back of the head and knocked unconscious.

When he awoke, Makarov had broken up the fight and Evergreen was glaring down at him incredulously. He brightened slightly when he saw her, scrambling up off the ground (for certainly he looked nothing like a real man there) to speak to her. But before he could, she had slapped him with her heavy purse.

"What was that for?" he barked, rubbing the throbbing spot on his cheek.

Evergreen tossed her head and crossed her arms defiantly. "You're doing it all wrong!" she sniffed, sashaying away. Elfman stared after her in bewilderment, completely confused.

"Wait! What am I doing wrong?" he called out.

"Everything!"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Elfman swore he heard Evergreen mutter "idiot" under her breath. But then, that might have been the concussion he had received sometime in the midst of the brawl.

He prodded at his cheek sorrowfully as she left the guild. Damn, what did she have in the freaking purse of hers? Bricks?

_/T.T\_

The next day at the guild, Elfman waited. And he watched. Like an eagle.

_Yeah, _he thought to himself smugly_, __like a manly eagle_.

"Um...Elf-bro?" Lisanna said, giving him a perplexed look.

"Shhh, Lisanna, I'm on the lookout for Evergreen. She's been acting suspiciously lately, and I'm going to get to the bottom of it."

"Okaaay...I'd just thought I'd let you know that Evergreen was standing behind you, that's all," Lisanna said airily, turning back to Mira. Elfman jumped and wheeled around to find Evergreen quirking an eyebrow behind him, swinging her purse threateningly.

"I'm acting suspiciously, huh?" she growled, giving him a sharp glare.

"N-no, that's not what I meant Ever - " Elfman choked, eying the purse with fear. How had he not notice her come in the guild? He'd been watching the door like an eagle! Like a manly eagle! "I was just - I mean, I thought you were avoiding me - "

" - So you thought you'd ambush me when I came in the guild, is that right?" Evergreen inquired dangerously, her glasses flashing.

"No! This was yesterday - I was searching for you, ask anybody - "

" - You looked like you were searching the floor pretty thoroughly," Evergreen jabbed.

"That was after a fight - somebody took a cheap shot and hit me from behind, I'll get him for that - anyway, then I asked Levy and she said you were in the archives reading and I just thought that was weird - "

" - Oh, now you're saying that I'm not intelligent enough to indulge in a good novel or two?" Evergreen hissed, though she stopped swinging the purse and held it still behind her back.

"No! I was just saying - "

Evergreen held up a hand to silence him. "I think you need to stop talking, Elfman," she said. "I am working on something for Fried for a mission, if you want to know what I'm doing in the archives. I asked Levy for some assistance."

"Oh. Okay. Do you need any - ?"

" - No," Evergreen interrupted once more, giving Elfman her most venomous glare. "I don't need any help whatsoever." With that she turned on her heel, stopped, then turned back around to hit him upside the head with her heavy purse. "And you're still doing everything wrong!"

She waltzed out of the hall and back to the entrance of the archives. Elfman gaped after her, stunned into silence. What was that? What just happened?

"You sure told her, Elf-bro," Lisanna said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Yeah," Mirajane chuckled. "You got to the bottom of that really quick."

Elfman inhaled sharply and puffed out his chest. "Something's fishy!" he proclaimed, standing up. "Real men find out what's fishy!" He made his way, not-so-silently, to the archives.

The room was silent when he entered. He closed the door as quietly as possible and tip-toed his way past the shelves, quickly peaking around each one before confirming that Evergreen was not there and moving on. Finally, on the fifth row down, he heard the fluttering of pages and knew that she must be close.

He perilously peered around the bookshelf and observed the situation.

Evergreen sat on the floor (the dusty, dirty, archives floor! Elfman was aghast; Evergreen never sat on the carpet at home, much less on the floor here), surrounded by a pile of shiny manga in shades ranging from fushia to scarlet to lavender. She had one in her lap and was reading it with a tragic expression. As he watched, she sighed and folded her hands under her chin dreamily, a girlish blush spreading across her features.

"Oh, Yuki," she whispered, returning to the book with renewed energy. "You have such a way with words..."

"Wha - ?" Elfman muttered to himself out of habit, forgetting the fact that it was dead silent in the archives. "Who's Yuki...?"

"_ELFMAN!_" Evergreen shrieked, chucking the manga that she was reading at him. He dodged it, tripping backwards. Evergreen had scrambled off the ground and descended on him then, her manga-filled purse in hand.

"WHAT - ARE - YOU - DOING - IN - HERE?" she screamed, hitting him on the head with the purse after each word to emphasize her fury.

"OW! UGH, EVER, STOP!"

"DON'T - CALL - ME - EVER! I'M - MAD - AT - YOU!"

"STOP HITTING ME WITH THE PURSE!"

"NEVER!"

With a roar of pure determination, Elfman knocked Evergreen off of him and snatched the purse out of her hands, pinning her to the ground so she would not have it again (it was too unmanly for him to hold) and abuse him with it.

Evergreen gave him a fierce scowl. "Get. Off. Of. Me."

"No," Elfman said, "not until you tell me what you're doing back here."

"You are becoming a stalker," Evergreen accused. "Let me go right now or I will scream at the top of my lungs and everybody will think that you are sexually harassing me."

"Try it," Elfman dared. "I'll tell them that it's a game we play."

"You are sickening. I hate you. Idiot. Real men don't pin women to the ground."

Elfman shook his head vigorously. "Not gonna work. You tell me why you're avoiding me."

"I'm not. I'm just spending all my time back here," Evergreen said.

"Doing what?"

"None of your business."

"Tell me!"

"No!"

"I will spit," Elfman threatened.

Evergreen's eyes widened. "You wouldn't."

Elfman gathered saliva in his mouth and let it form a drop that hovered over Evergreen's face. She struggled, but there was no escape. "Okay, fine!" she finally said when the strand of spit was inches from her face. "I'll tell you! Just don't do that ever again!"

Elfman grinned triumphantly and deposited his spit elsewhere, while Evergreen gagged uncontrollably and accused him of being utterly disgusting.

"Fine...I'm...reading shojo manga back here," Evergreen admitted, pursing her lips as if she'd just tasted something sour.

Elfman glanced at the books and their fruity titles. "Okay...?"

"That's it," Evergreen blinked. "I'm reading shojo manga back here."

"That's it?" Elfman scoffed, rolling his eyes. "That was no reason to attack me!"

"Yes it is!" Evergreen cried. "Shojo manga is childish and frilly and flamboyant and girlish and just silly! My reputation would be ruined if anyone found out I was reading it!"

"And you call me an idiot," Elfman snorted. "That's a stupid reason to be all secretive. Nobody cares what you read."

Evergreen gaped. "Really? Are you serious?"

"Yeah. Nobody cares, I swear on my manliness."

"In that case..." Evergreen began, extracting her hand from Elfman's grip and reaching for the book she'd thrown at him. Before he could process what was going on, she'd hit him upside the head with it. "You're doing it all wrong!"

"Ow! Will you quit hitting me with stuff?" Elfman complained. "What are you talking about?"

"This!" Evergreen said shrilly, opening the manga to a random page to reveal two people in an embrace. "The whole 'romance' thing! You're doing it all wrong!"

"Romance..." Elfman muttered, screwing up his face and skimming through the first few blocks. It was his turn to gag. "That's so unmanly! Nobody talks like that!"

"They do! Fried and Mira are all gushy like this, and so are others!" Evergreen said, squishing the manga to his face as if it would help it sink in. "You're doing it all wrong, idiot!"

"You're not exactly following it either!" Elfman pointed out, snatching the manga and pointing to the attractive female heroine. "Is she hitting that guy? I don't think so!"

"Sometimes idiots just need to be slapped!"

"Maybe I wouldn't be an idiot if you didn't slap me so much!"

"HA! You just admitted that you're an idiot!"

Elfman threw the manga into the air in exasperation while Evergreen gloated over her victory. He gave her a look of disdain as she conducted a song about him finally admitting he was an idiot, complete with a little dance (or at least what seemed to be the best dance she could do while impaired by Elfman's weight on top of her; he still had her partially pinned down). He felt irritation bubbling up inside him as he shot the pink manga an angry glare. She wanted him to be like that unmanly guy in the manga? Then fine!

He pinned her wrists to the ground again, and Evergreen abruptly stopped her cruel singing. He gazed into her eyes with as much emotion as he could summon, taking her by completely surprise.

"Oh, Ever, you're right," he began, turning away as if ashamed. "I mask myself behind this manly perona, but in reality I'm just like Yuki; and I've been selfishly hiding that part of me from you. You deserve every side of me, Ever, because you - you are the most important thing in my life. It was a dark hole without you, bleak, meaningless, and then you stepped into my life and it was like the sun blazing through the sky, burning away a harsh and bitter winter. You are a fairy queen, Ever, and I am merely your humble - your humble - "

He glanced down, pretending to get choked up, and immediately recoiled, shocking Evergreen out of her transfixed reverie. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE ACTUALLY GOING ALL STARRY-EYED!" he roared, pointing at her accusingly. Evergreen gaped alike a fish out of water, sitting up on her elbows as if this would help her reach some sort of excuse.

"W-well, I can't help it! That was - that was beautiful, Elfman! It was the most beautiful thing anyone's ever said to me!" She gazed off into the distance. "You even called me a fairy queen..."

"I feel so unmanly!" said Elfman with a shudder. "Real men don't express love with their words!"

"Don't tell me they express it with their fists," Evergreen said dryly.

"I am a man of action, not words!"

"Oh joy," Evergreen remarked blandly.

Elfman picked up on her sarcasm. "I'll show you!" he declared.

"Hey, what're you - ?" Evergreen began, but before she could get the words out Elfman had already roughly pressed his mouth to hers.

It was better than any shojo manga could have depicted, mainly because shojo manga was geared towards thirteen-year-olds who were much too innocent to be witnessing such a display of what Elfman had declared suitable "manly" passion. Evergreen didn't even mind that the floor was dirty anymore. It didn't beat being called a fairy queen, but...

_Oh! ...Okay, maybe it does._

_/T.T\_

Levy stumbled blindly out of the archives, pale and wide-eyed. Jet and Droy practically shrieked and each grabbed an arm, helping her to a chair. She sat down with wobbly legs, staring vastly into space without saying a word.

"Levy! Speak to us, Levy!"

"What happened? Speak, Levy!"

Levy's mouth opened, but nothing came out. Gajeel, smelling the three's distress, came over to investigate. He raised an eyebrow and waved a hand in front of her face, frowning when he got no response. "Oi, what happened?" he asked the stooges finally.

"She just came out of the archives looking like this," Jet explained.

Droy nodded. "Do you think something scared her in there?"

"I dunno," Gajeel said. "Better go check..."

Levy's hand shot out and grabbed his shirt. "No!" she squeaked. "No, don't go in there! Not unless you want a horrible sight burned into your brain for the rest of eternity..."

"What'd you see, shorty?" Gajeel prompted.

"I-I just went down to see how Evergreen was d-doing...and...and then I saw...her and...E-Elfman..." Levy paused as violent shivers traveled up her spine. She covered her face in her hands mournfully. "I...will never be completely pure again..."

Gajeel, Jet, and Droy were all giving her looks of the utmost confusion when Evergreen and Elfman passed by, looking very tousled and very dirty. Evergreen tossed her hair and staggered slightly on a broken heel, ignoring the horrified stares she and Elfman were receiving from the three men crowded around Levy. She cleared her throat in a dignified way, glancing at Levy.

"What's wrong with her?"

* * *

**Evergreen and Elfman II - End**


	17. Kinana and Cobra

_**Summary:** Kinana has been a snake all of her life, enslaved under the rule of the one of the six Oracion Seis. Or so her new guild, Fairy Tail, tells her. She doesn't remember much, only the joy of flying through the sky, and the rough laughter of someone above her. As far as she's concerned, the voice in her head asking her to speak to it doesn't sound that bad at all._

_*A request and idea from _**Nightlingbolt**___. For those of you who don't know, Cobra was the "new-style" Poison Dragonslayer of Oracion Seis, and his giant flying snake, Cuberos, was revealed to be a girl named Kinana. She was changed back by Makarov and works as an employee at Fairy Tail now._

_Eye dew knot own Fairy Tail. Hiro Mashima duhs._

* * *

**Kinana and Cobra**

**by: SmurfLuvsCookies**

_My prayer..._

Cobra sat in front of Guran Doma, the almighty Head of the Wizarding Council. These long weeks of being behind bars had been torturous. He hadn't been allowed to clean up before meeting Doma, so he was sure it showed. But he didn't care; he didn't care about anything anymore. Certainly not Oracion Seis and that damn Brain. The leader of the Oracion Seis dark guild had shown Cobra, quite plainly, that he was disposable. A shot through the shoulder made that perfectly clear. Well, Cobra would show him just how valuable he was.

"Well, Mister..._Cobra_," Doma boomed, giving him an incredulous look over a thick manila envelope. With a sinking in his stomach, Cobra realized that it was his criminal record. "What urgent reason do you have for requesting this meeting, hm?"

"I have valuable information about the disbanded guild, Oracion Seis, and others of the Balam Alliance," Cobra said evenly, deliberately ignoring the prejudice already apparent in Doma's demeanor. If he could just reveal enough shocking information...

"Inconceivable," Doma rumbled, shaking his head as if he had expected something better. "Everyone knows that the Balam Alliance is not an alliance at all, just a non-aggression pact. Those of the Balam Alliance do not communicate with each other."

Cobra's mouth twitched. So they didn't know anything after all. The prospects were suddenly looking much, much brighter. "I assure you, the information I have is valid," Cobra said. "I promise that it will get a rise out of any prisoners you interrogate."

"Fine, go on," Doma said, waving a permissible hand.

Cobra made a hissing noise through his teeth, trying to sound reluctant. "Now, now, O Mighty Doma, sir, you and I both know that I'm not giving any information without striking a deal first."

"A deal?" Doma said, looking almost amused. "Mr. Cobra, you are in no position to be striking deals with me. I'll decide if the information you give the Council is valuable enough to reduce your sentence, but until then you are imprisoned for life."

"Then you might as well send me back," Cobra said casually. "That is, unless you're not concerned about the fact that Grimore Heart is steadily moving their operations to Tenrou Island, which, if I hear correctly, is where the little fairies will be hosting their S-Class Wizard Promotion Trials pretty soon."

Doma's eyes narrowed. "How do you know that?"

"I got good ears," Cobra replied vaguely. "Now, if you want to know more, you're going to have to strike a deal with me, O Mighty Doma. _Sir_."

Doma banged his fist on the podium, a vein throbbing in his head. "Don't get cocky, Cobra! Don't think that you have the upper hand here, because I don't make deals with scumbags like you!"

"These past few weeks in prison have really given me time to think my life over," Cobra said, sincere for the first time in this meeting. "I've had a change of heart. I was defeated by an old generation Dragonslayer, betrayed by my guild master, and - " Cobra paused, gritting his teeth. "And I haven't seen my best friend since I've been arrested. I have no idea what happened to her. All I want is to get out and find her, I swear. You won't see another charge against me if you just let me go."

Doma clicked his tongue; to Cobra's surprise, he actually seemed to be considering it. "What are your terms?" he sighed finally, peering once more into Cobra's file.

"I want out, even if it means probation," Cobra said. "And if you have my snake, Cuberos, in custody, I want her set free too."

"Let me hear what you have to say, and then I will consider it," Doma said. Cobra knew that this was the most assurance he was going to get as of then, and proceeded to tell Doma all he knew about the Balam Alliance and that other dark guild, Raven Tail.

Half an hour later, Cobra had gone hoarse, Doma was looking very grim, and the secretary was dumbstruck, not having scribbled a word for the past ten minutes.

"Very well," Doma said. "Your information was very valuable indeed, Mr. Cobra. I shall consider your request for early release."

"Wait!" Cobra said as the guards lumbered into the room to take him back to his cell. "Just tell me this: do you have Cuberos in custody? Is she being treated well?"

"There were no reports of a giant purple snake being arrested," Doma said in an offhanded way, glancing at the clock. "Your pet's whereabouts are as of now unknown, but she will be seized and contained if there are any sightings."

Cobra gaped at Guran Doma as he was dragged out of the room. Seized? Contained? That is not what he wanted for Cuberos. Had he just made matters worse by bringing her into this at all?

He closed his eyes and, like every day since he had been arrested, uttered his final wish under his breath.

"...I just want to hear the voice of my one friend, Cuberos."

_/T.T\_

_I want to hear your voice...let me hear your voice..._

Kinana gritted her teeth and wiped the table with more urgency, not stopping until she realized that she could see her reflection in the wooden surface. "Oh well," she sighed, depositing the rag in the pocket of her overalls and moving on with her preparatory tasks with Mirajane and the other waitresses.

She hadn't heard that voice in her head since last week; Makarov said that it was probably about time it stopped. Kinana didn't ask him what he meant by that, but she had felt an ominous sinking in her stomach. Was the thing or person asking to hear her voice going to die? She certainly didn't want that. Whoever, or whatever, it was didn't sound evil at all; quite the contrary, they were always kind and polite on the occasions they stopped by in her head. They (or rather, he; it was a male voice) always left if she didn't respond, which is exactly what Makarov instructed her to do.

"Just ignore the voice," he'd told her when she'd complained to him about it. "Whatever you do, don't answer. Voices in your head are rarely ever good."

"But he sounds so sad, Master," Kinana said, having at first taken pity on the poor presence. "I feel like if I just say something, he'll be much happier and maybe won't bother me anymore."

But Makarov stood firm to his belief that it was better safe than sorry, and no matter what the voice said she was not to address it in any way, shape, or form. Kinana agreed, already having her fair share of misfortune when it came to magic, yet knowing absolutely nothing about it. She'd lived most of her life as a giant, violet snake working for a powerful dark guild, enslaved by one of it's members. Or at least, that's what the ones at Fairy Tail told her. She remembered nothing at all and, save for the dreams about flying through the air that were so vivid they could have only been a forgotten memory, she would have only guessed she'd been in an enchanted sleep or something.

"Good morning, Kinana," said Max, strolling into the guild. He was usually one of the first to arrive due to his duties as the gift shop manager (not that they'd actually managed to sell anything but the occasional Loke poster).

"Morning, Max."

And so the day went. Despite the voice emerging in her head again, something that Kinana was not going to let throw her off, the day was perfectly normal. Well, as normal as you could get in Fairy Tail. Kinana dodged behind the bar as Natsu and Gajeel started up (yet another) guild brawl, which she could not participate in.

_Your voice...? Please, let me hear your voice...your thoughts..._

Kinana shook her head to clear it. Not this guy again! He usually didn't show up more than once in a day. What was going on? Was he desperate to get her to respond? Was he getting ready to perish as Makarov had implied?

"Are you feeling okay, Kinana?" Mirajane asked, looking down at her with concern.

"I'm fine," Kinana replied, standing up, "is there anything I can help you with?"

Mirajane asked her to take the recycling out (Shadow Gear insisted that Fairy Tail go green) and Kinana noticed something; a newspaper article. A convict had been released on probation...

"Hey, Kinana! Would you mind running to the market to pick us up some more strawberries? I don't have any to put on the strawberry cakes," Mirajane called with a nervous glance at the seething Erza.

"Okay! I'll be back soon!" Kinana promised, zooming her way out of the guild to unload the recycling and get the Titania strawberries for her cake.

_Can I hear your voice...your thoughts...?_

Kinana knocked a fist on the side of her head, silently urging the voice to go away.

_/T.T\_

Cobra was out of prison, but he did not feel free. He had only ever felt completely free when flying with Cuberos, but there was no sign of her at all. Cobra didn't know what he was expecting; that she'd be waiting for him outside the prison gates? That she'd come at his call like she used to? He'd been terribly naive to think that finding her would be so easy.

But he'd search for Cuberos until he did find her, that was for sure. Without her, his best friend, he might as well be back in prison. Doma had assured him that if they heard any reports, they'd let him know.

In all actuality, Cobra was relatively surprised with the way his sentencing went. After an extra month of waiting, he was called forth and immediately released on a two year probation, during which he was not to commit any crimes or come in contact with any of his former associates (not that that would be difficult; most of them were imprisoned or dead). He also wasn't allowed to do any magic, which he was quite sour about considering it would be harder to find work and Cuberos that way, but he supposed he wouldn't be able to do magic in prison either.

_Where am I now? _he wondered, looking around. It seemed to be some kind of market place...in a town called Magnolia, if the signs were right. Magnolia...there was something important about that town...what was it...?

"Wah!"

Cobra came to an abrupt halt and blinked, jarred from his reverie. He'd absentmindedly run into someone; a girl in frilly overalls, carrying a bucket of strawberries - which she'd just dumped all over the ground. He first wondered why she had so many strawberries, then he expressed slight concern for his financial predicament; all those strawberries must have cost a lot of money, and she would certainly want him to pay for them. It was his fault, after all, that she'd dropped them.

He decided to be very nice to this girl.

"Sorry!" he said, picking up the bucket and peaking hopefully inside. His stomach sank; there was not a strawberry in sight. "I wasn't looking where I was going..."

But to his surprise, the girl was laughing. "Oh, it's okay," she said dismissively, reclaiming the large bucket. "It was probably my fault anyway, I can't even see over this thing. Happens all the time, actually. It didn't stain your clothes, did it?" she asked, her eyebrows crinkling as she assessed the state of his tattered garb.

"No, it's fine," Cobra said, pinching the soiled jacket in between his fingers. "I needed a new one anyway."

"Are you sure?" the girl fussed, already fumbling around her strawberry juice-stained overalls for her wallet. "I could pay, let's see here..."

"How about this," Cobra said slyly, taking the bucket from her. He did need money after all, but he didn't want to steal from this girl. She seemed decent. "I'll carry the strawberries for you, and you can pay me for that? That way there won't be any more accidents."

"Oh, would you mind?" the girl said.

"Not at all."

She took him back to the produce stand, where the owner looked quite exasperated as refilled her bucket (for free, as apparently this girl was a regular customer). "Careful not to tip this one over, I don't have anymore," he warned.

"That's okay, this nice man kindly offered to carry them for me," the girl said, grinning at Cobra. The owner of the stand gave Cobra a skeptical once-over and pursed his lips, emitting a small harrumph before going back to his work. Cobra twitched irritably, but he kept his temper in check. He was fairly certain that Doma would not be pleased if he saw an assault charge only a day after Cobra'd been released.

"I forgot to ask," the girl said as they started walking to where ever they were going, "what's your name?"

"Cobra."

"That's such a cool name!" the girl gushed. "My name's Kinana."

They walked in silence for a length of time. Cobra glanced over at this Kinana girl curiously; she wasn't all that bad looking. Kind of cute, in a corky sort of way, with her frilly overalls and the big bow on her head. There was something about her that was immediately disarming; and, if Cobra was being honest, comforting.

"I'm sorry to be abrupt, but have I met you somewhere before?" she blurted suddenly, breaking her pensive silence and looking up to see him staring at her. Cobra quickly looked away, feeling his face burn slightly. Luckily, Kinana didn't seem to notice that he'd been doing anything unusual at all.

"I doubt it," he answered when he regained his composure.

"Strange. Your voice sounds really familiar," Kinana muttered, almost to herself. "I just can't place where I've heard it before...ah, here we are! Thanks for carrying those strawberries for me, it was a real help! How much do you want me to pay you?"

But Cobra wasn't listening. He gaped up at the enormous building before him (how had he not noticed it earlier, it towered over everything else in the town) and almost dropped the strawberries. This was were Kinana worked? This is where the strawberries were being delivered?

Freaking _Fairy Tail _of all places?

A waving hand suddenly obscured his vision. He blinked and looked down at Kinana, who was gazing at him with concern. "Cobra-san? Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah," Cobra said, his throat suddenly dry. He thrust the strawberries in her hands and made for a quick exit, nearly falling backward when Kinana set down the strawberries and grabbed the back of his jacket.

"Wait! I really must insist that you take - "

" - it's okay, I don't want any money," Cobra interrupted, hurriedly glancing at the guild. If they saw him here what would they do? Attack him, probably.

"But you were a huge help!" Kinana said, looking at him in disbelief.

"And it warms my heart for you to say so," Cobra said dryly, "but really, I must be going."

"But - !"

"Hey, Kinana, who're you talking to?"

Cobra felt the blood drain from his face. Of all the people in this guild...of all the fairies...the one who was sure to recognize him...

"YOU!" the pink-haired, old-style Fire Dragonslayer roared, pointing blatantly at Cobra with pure fury sweeping the grin off of his childish features. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? GET AWAY FROM KINANA, YOU BASTARD!"

"Natsu-san! What's going on? Do you two - ?" Kinana squealed as Natsu planted himself in front of her, glaring at Cobra fiercely.

"I'm not here to cause any trouble, I was just leaving," Cobra said pacifically, putting up his hands in surrender. "She asked me to carry the strawberries and I didn't realize that I was coming _here_."

Kinana looked abashed. "What is going - ?"

"You're supposed to be in jail! What're you doing, just walking around Magnolia like it's no big deal?" Natsu huffed angrily, ignoring Kinana entirely.

"I'm out of prison," Cobra said, rather smugly. "I decided that I had a better use for my time and supplied the Council with some valuable information, therefore shortening my lifelong sentence to a simple two years' probation. Quite an improvement, isn't it?"

"You were in prison? That was you in the paper?" Kinana said weakly, her eyes widening.

"LIES!" Natsu declared, narrowing his eyes. "Go get the old man, Kinana!"

"There's no need, I told you I'm leaving," Cobra said impatiently, backing away as Kinana raced into the guild with a slightly frightened face.

Natsu's fists were suddenly engulfed in flame. "I don't think so! You're not leaving!"

Cobra sneered at the Salamander. He could not use magic to wiggle his way out of this, or else he'd be right back in prison and he might never see Cuberos again. All he could do was stand here, defenseless, and wait for Kinana to come back with who he assumed was the guild master.

It was just a little old man with a mustache who came out; Kinana had stayed in the guild. Cobra felt a bitter taste flood his mouth. Was he suddenly not the same nice man who kindly offered to carry the heavy bucket of strawberries now that he had a record? Despicable. Humans were all the same.

"You're Cobra?" the old man inquired, raising an eyebrow. "Yes, I read about you in today's newspaper...I didn't expect you to show your face here after all the trouble you caused, though."

"Look, I was just carrying the strawberries for that girl, okay?" Cobra sighed. "Just to make some cash, which, regrettably, I'm short on right now. I didn't know I'd be coming here, as I've tried to explain to this guy. If I'd known, I wouldn't have offered. So can I please just do everyone, including myself, a favor and _leave_?"

"Please do," the old man said, turning around. "Come on, Natsu, let's go inside."

"What?" Natsu cried, extinguishing the fire on his hands. "But Gramps, this guy tried to kill us! How'd you get outta jail anyway?" he said, converging on Cobra.

"He betrayed his fellows," the guild master said gravely, with a cross of disappointment and disgust in his voice. "Come on, I said we're going inside, Natsu. Leave this man alone."

"Wait."

The old man turned around, quirking an eyebrow at Cobra and giving him his undivided attention. Cobra didn't know why he felt the need to explain himself to this shriveled old man, but he knew that he wouldn't feel right about anything until he did.

"I didn't 'betray my fellows.' They betrayed me, after I became of no more use. Your guy here, he saw it," Cobra added, jerking his chin at Natsu. "Granted, I didn't tell the Council everything because I felt like you were the good guys or anything - I did it because my only true friend in the world wasn't arrested, and I want to find her. I want to hear her voice, if it's the last thing I do."

The old man was very still. He seemed to be considering something. "Did you say that you were short on cash?" he said finally, assessing Cobra's tattered and stained wardrobe.

"Yeah, why?"

"How would you like to work for Fairy Tail?" the old man offered.

Natsu's and Cobra's eyes bulged. "WHAT?" they said simultaneously, giving the old man a look as if he were crazy. He certainly must have been; what man in his right mind would offer a place in their guild to someone who was once their enemy?

"But, Gramps, what about Ki - ?" Natsu began, but he was silenced by a look the old man gave him. Apparently it was not something for Cobra's ears.

"...Why?" Cobra asked cautiously. He did need work, and he doubted that anybody would take him if he had an article in the paper. He was beginning to wonder if Doma had made being free purposefully hard for him.

"Do I have to have a reason to invite a powerful young mage to work for my guild?" the old man said innocently.

Cobra smiled wryly. "You do if that powerful young mage tried to destroy your guild."

"I don't think you want to destroy my guild anymore, do you?" the old man said, casting a look upon the tremendous building. "Now that you've seen how glorious it is."

Cobra exhaled sharply through his nose. "I can't...I'm not allowed to do magic," he muttered, not even believing that he was considering this.

"Quite alright," the old man assured. "We could always use some extra hands around here, am I right, Natsu?"

"Gramps!" Natsu growled, his eyes flickering to Cobra. "What about Kin - ?"

But the old man had elbowed Natsu in the knee, silencing him for the second time. He promptly turned on his heel and waved both of the Dragonslayers inside. Cobra and Natsu glared at each other the whole way, but neither of them uttered one complaint.

_/T.T\_

"Are you sure about this, Master?" Kinana heard Mirajane cautiously whisper, peaking over her shoulder at Cobra. Kinana felt a twinge of pity for the poor man; it was only his first day here as a waiter, and he wasn't doing too well.

It wasn't entirely his fault. Kinana had never seen Fairy Tail act so harsh since Gajeel turned up on their doorstep, and even then it wasn't long before he found a niche. What, she wondered, did Cobra do to earn him such hostility? Everyone knew, but no one seemed inclined to tell her.

Well, Kinana wasn't stupid; judging by the looks everyone was shooting her, and their determination to keep her away from Cobra, he'd had something to do with Oracion Seis - and, therefore, her being a giant, flying snake. This assumption inspired an eruption of questions she wished to ask him. Did he know the one who enslaved her? Was Oracion Seis snake-themed or something? And - this particular question sent chills down her spine - had she ever killed anyone?

Yet her intuition told her that Master did not want Cobra knowing her true identity, much less inquiring about his old dark guild. But, Kinana also thought that Master would want Cobra to have as warm a welcome as possible, and, being the one who got him in this situation in the first place, she was going to take it upon herself to do so.

She walked up to him as he scowled at the glasses he was polishing. He looked up when he heard her coming and glared, hard and cold. Kinana hesitated, her stomach sinking. Was he upset that she'd brought him here? He'd seemed so much nicer in the market. Nonetheless, Kinana initiated a conversation.

"Hi there," she said, choosing to ignore his scowl. "So, how's your first day going?"

"Do you have to ask?" Cobra remarked, his voice venomous. Kinana shrank, intimidated by the cold, almost reptilian, look in his eyes, but plowed on as if nothing was amiss.

"Well, you should know that there is a uniform for Fairy Tail employees," she said, feigning helpful chastisity.

"Oh really? I don't see anybody else wearing overalls."

"No, this is the uniform," Kinana said, ignoring the jab at her overalls and holding out a bundle of clothes to Cobra. He took it and held it up suspiciously, his surprised expression so exaggerated upon seeing the slinky, strapless dress that Kinana burst into peals of hysterical laughter, effectively getting all of the guild's attention. A few chuckled at Cobra's face too, but most turned back to their meals with wayside glances and uneasy mutterings. For the first time that day, Cobra did not have to pretend not to notice.

"Ha ha, that's really funny," he said sarcastically, tossing the dress back to Kinana, who fumbled with it while wiping a tear from her eye. "Now that you're done mocking me, I'd like to get back to work."

"C'mon, I wasn't mocking you," said Kinana, wilting. "You just seemed like you needed some company, and I thought that this was a good way to break the ice. I didn't mean to offend you."

Cobra grumbled an inaudible something or another, turning back to the glasses. Had he been wrong about this girl after all? Did she not really care that he was a felon? Or was it pity, not cordiality, that drove her urge to suddenly strike up a conversation with him?

"Look, I'm sorry that your first day here isn't going too great," Kinana continued, "but they'll warm up to you eventually, I swear. Just look at Gajeel or Jellal. They were both in the same situation as you, and they fit in here perfectly now."

"Jellal's here?" Cobra said, raising his eyebrows. The last time he'd seen the powerful blue-haired mage was at the sight of Nirvana. Apparently he'd permanently lost his memory (or some say) and was released on probation.

"Yes. I forgot, Jellal was also part of Oracion Seis, wasn't he?" Kinana said wistfully.

"Not exactly. He was more of an...associate than one of the members," Cobra clarified, setting a clean glass down on the counter and grabbing a new one. "I didn't interact with him too much."

Kinana wasn't really listening. She was waging a war inside of herself: the curiosity that craved information about her past life versus her loyalty and respect of the Master's implied wishes. Cobra was probably the only person who could, or would, tell her much of anything. She wanted to know!

But by the time she'd built up the resolve, Cobra had changed the subject. "So what's up with all the fighting in this place? It seems like every time I turn around, everybody's beating the crap out of each other."

Kinana grinned. "Most guys like that particular trait of Fairy Tail."

"I'm not complaining," Cobra admitted. "It's just weird to me. Don't you fight your enemies? How can you distinguish between the two when you're fighting all the time?"

The rest of that afternoon was spent with Kinana explaining the complicated yet somehow also primal ways of Fairy Tail. Cobra left with a clear(er) understanding of the guild, but still claimed that he was confused. Kinana assured him that that wasn't anything unusual. He had to leave early to go find some place to stay the night, but when Kinana asked, Cobra said that he was definitely coming back to the guild tomorrow.

"I do have to work, after all," he said bitterly. "I can't do much else without magic. So I'm stuck here until I get back on my feet, I guess."

Kinana couldn't say that she was completely satisfied with that answer, but decided that it was good enough for now. Surely Cobra would warm up to Fairy Tail and want to stay, even if he couldn't do magic. She waved goodbye and watched him stroll down the straightforward road into Magnolia Town, feeling cheerful. She was glad that Cobra, though wary of the guild, had come to be a friend to her, at least.

She turned around and began merrily making her way back inside.

"_Speak to me_."

Kinana wheeled around again, heart thumping, but Cobra was already out of sight. She let out a deep breath, shaking her head to clear it. For a second, she'd almost thought she'd heard him say those words, as if he were right next to her, whispering them in her ear.

With one last preliminary glance over her shoulder, Kinana went back into the guild. It must've been her imagination going crazy, after all.

_/T.T\_

Later that evening, after Mirajane had locked up the guild, Kinana strolled down the path to Fairy Hills, singing a tune in harmony with the serenading crickets. Kinana loved to sing, and from what everyone said she was good a it too. Sometimes Mirajane even asked her to join her on the stage, but Kinana was battling serious stage fright. When Kinana was alone like this, though, she dauntlessly raised her voice so it flowed through the air, sweet and clear.

"Whoa! You didn't tell me you can sing!"

Kinana cut off with a yelp and noticed Cobra coming her way, a wide grin on his face. She felt a warm blush spread to her hairline. "Wh-what are you doing here?" she stuttered.

"Just taking an evening stroll," he replied vaguely, his eyes flickering up towards the sky. "You're a really good singer, you know. Could probably be pretty famous..."

"I have stage fright," Kinana muttered, looking at her feet. "And I like where I am right now, thank you. Fairy Tail is wonderful. Anyway, did you find an apartment?"

Cobra made a face. "Yeah, some 300-jewels-a-month shack, not far from here. I'm actually trying to avoid going there for as long as possible so...how about I walk you home? There are a lot of freaks and weirdoes walking around at night."

"I'm sure," Kinana said wryly, casting Cobra a glance. "You don't have to though, Fairy Hills is right up here. It's an apartment complex for all the girls who work in Fairy Tail. Sorry, boys aren't allowed," she added with a cheeky grin.

"Doesn't matter, I won't be here long anyway," Cobra sighed, shrugging.

Kinana frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I'm just trying to get back on my feet, for right now. Once I rake up enough cash, get some things settled, I'm going on...well, it's basically a quest," Cobra explained. "See, I was arrested and I never got to say goodbye to my best friend. I don't know where she is now, so I'm going to go looking for her."

"Wow," Kinana said, surprised. Cobra hadn't mentioned this mysterious friend all day. Was she the reason he'd tried so hard to get out of prison? "She must be special. What's her name?"

"Cuberos," Cobra said, some amusement creeping into his voice, "and she's definitely, ah...something else. It's kind of funny, actually. She's not even human, but I've known her almost my entire life. She's been there for me. My only wish is to hear her voice. That's why I've gotta keep looking for her."

Kinana screeched to a stop. _My only wish is to hear her voice..._

_Hear her voice._

_Voice._

"Kinana? Hey, you okay?" Cobra asked, cocking an eyebrow. "You look like you've just seen a ghost. What's up?"

"Cobra," Kinana said shakily. "You said that Cuberos isn't human. What is she, exactly?"

"She's a snake, what else?" Cobra answered. "A big purple snake with a white underbelly. She can fly too...oi, you sure you're okay?"

How could she not have seen it before? The voice in her head, asking her to speak - it was Cobra's! That's why it sounded so familiar! He was part of Oracion Seis, Natsu had been outraged when he'd seen them talking...his name was _Cobra_, for Pete's sake! How could she have been so stupid?

Kinana gaped at Cobra as if she'd seen him for the first time. He'd busted out of prison looking for her. He was working for the guild that put him in prison just to find her. He wanted to hear her voice so badly that she was hearing _his_ voice in her head. He'd done so much in his quest to find her, and she didn't even remember him!

"Hey! Kinana! C'mon, say something!"

Kinana swallowed, and forced a smile. "Something," she said.

"Not funny," Cobra replied seriously. "You completely spaced out. What's wrong with you?"

"N-nothing," Kinana said. "It's nothing I - I thought I saw a spider."

Cobra cocked an eyebrow. "A spider?"

"Yes, a big poisonous one. But it was just a shadow."

"You fairies sure are strange," Cobra snorted, shaking his head.

Kinana frowned at the ground as they walked on, not saying much. Should she tell Cobra anything? Would Makarov want him to know? Would Makarov want _her_ to know? And if she told Cobra, how would he react? She looked up at his face and realized with a pang that he was still going on about Cuberos. Now he thought that his pet was still alive, but really she was not. Kinana had taken her place. How would he take that? Would he be upset? Happy? Sad? Angry? Kinana blinked as she felt tears prick her eyes. Would he try to find a way to change her back?

Cobra grabbed her arm, causing her to stop and look up at him. He was frowning at her. "Okay, what's wrong?" he demanded, crossing his arms defiantly. "I've been talking for a good five minutes and you haven't said a word. And if you think I believe that bullshit about the spider, you're out of your mind. So talk."

Kinana felt claustrophobic, like the heavy night air was suffocating her. The tears she'd been trying to push back were spilling, and she tried to brush them away before Cobra could see. Were they friends? Should she tell him? Would he leave Fairy Tail? Kinana didn't want him to leave. She wanted to know more about her past, and she sincerely did like Cobra. She didn't really have a best friend in the guild like everybody else seemed to. She had the feeling that everybody was a bit freaked out by the voice she heard. It's not like it was a secret.

"I...I hear voices," she finally muttered, looking at her feet,"i-in my head."

Cobra took a tiny step back. "Okaaay..."

"Actually it's just one voice," she continued. "A voice asking me to speak to it. It...it's your voice."

Cobra was still. Kinana risked a quick glance upward and saw that he was staring at her like she'd just sprouted an extra head. She expected him to say something, but she winced when words finally came out of his mouth.

"What the _fuck_ are you talking about?"

"When I was little, an evil mage turned me into a snake," Kinana said. "I don't remember anything about my life as a snake, only what Master tells me. He said I was someone's pet in Oracion Seis, someone that Natsu battled. They brought me here and changed me back. I've worked here ever since, but there's always this voice in my head asking me to speak to it. Master said I should just ignore it, and when I met you I knew you sounded familiar but I just couldn't place it...and now, you were telling me about Cuberos and it just...clicked. I _am_ Cuberos."

Cobra blinked at her, his mouth gaping. Then it twitched into a grin, and he started laughing maniacally. "Th-that's funny!" he gasped, tousling her hair. Kinana straightened the bow on the top of her head, abashed.

"Cobra...I'm not joking," she said.

Just as bruptly as he'd began, he stopped laughing. "Okay, that's enough," he ordered, glaring at her. "It's not funny anymore, so you can just give it a rest."

"I told you, I'm serious - "

"Shut up!" Cobra interrupted. "You're taking it too far, just stop with this ridiculous story! There is _no way in hell_ you are Cuberos! Cuberos is - she was - " he paused, staring into oblivion. "She...was everything. And now your basically telling me that she's gone."

"I'm so sorry," Kinana said sincerely, looking down at her feet.

That seemed to snap Cobra out of it. He knocked her on the back of her head, causing her to jump and stare at him in disbelief. "Don't say you're sorry," he said, running a hand through his hair. "It's not your fault. You shouldn't be sorry for living like you are now."

"I just wish that Cuberos was here too!" Kinana said. "I'm sorry that I can't remember anything, and I'm sorry that I'm so different from her, I'm so - "

Cobra had clapped a hand over her face, stopping her flood of words. "Look, I told you to shut up. It's not your fault, stop making yourself feel shitty. I wish that Cuberos was still alive too, but that doesn't change anything," he said, massaging his forehead. "So don't beat yourself up about it. At least...I mean, if you're Cuberos...you're happy, right?"

Kinana nodded, as she could not speak with Cobra's hand smothering half of her face. In fact, she was finding it rather difficult to breathe.

"Good," Cobra sighed; relieved or resigned, Kinana couldn't tell which. "As long as she's - you're - happy, then I'm okay. I'm...shocked, that's all. I'm sure you are too, I mean...eh? Kinana?"

Kinana grabbed his wrist and jerked his hand away from her mouth and nose, wheezing. Cobra made a face, rubbing the back of his neck. "Oh...ah, sorry."

"S'okay," Kinana gasped, doubled over. "I just blacked out for a minute, that's all. A-anyway, I think you should know: I'll never be Cuberos. But that doesn't mean we can't be friends, right? You could start over here, in Magnolia, and work at Fairy Tail with me! You're going to fit in, I promise! Then you'll have a bunch of trustworthy friends, the best nakama you could ever wish for."

Cobra looked uncertain, but when Kinana held out her hand, he shook it as if they were making a business deal. She grinned, and Cobra did feel as though Cuberos was still here. Of course he knew that Kinana and Cuberos were never going to be the same person (even though they were), but he also didn't feel like his best friend was lost to him forever.

Besides, if he was being honest, Cuberos was much cuter this way.

"Starting over doesn't sound so bad," Cobra admitted. "As long as I don't have to wear the uniform, right?"

Kinana laughed. "No, you don't have to wear the uniform. But you can tell me stories about my past. I've always wanted to know..."

"Sure, as long as you help me convince the old man to build a Fairy Hills for us guys," Cobra compromised. "I can't live in that smelly shack forever, you know."

"I'll try," Kinana giggled. "I'll see you tomorrow, Cobra."

She turned to go, humming a tune under her breath. Cobra watched her until she reached the building and entered the doors, and waved back when she noticed that he was still standing there. He turned and strolled in the opposite direction, looking at the scattering of stars in the sky. _Goodbye, Cuberos_.

He closed his eyes and sighed, feeling as though more than one of his prayers had finally been answered.

* * *

**Kinana and Cobra - End**


	18. A Most Powerful Magic

_***Last chapter, folks!** Just Makarov reminiscing about his guild. I figured it make a nice pretty epilogue. Thanks for reading, and I'm sorry I couldn't get to every single one of your requests - I honestly racked my brains for plots to use, but I'm out._

_Don't worry though, there is still plenty more Fairy Tail to come from me. If you liked this, then feel free to check out my other story, _**Seven Secrets**_. __Also, after I wrap up some of the other stuff I'm working on, I will be publishing a Gajeel/Levy story, _**Black and Blue**_, and a Lisanna/Bixlow story, _**Lost Souls**_, for those of you who like fluff. __For those of you who are into parody, adventure, and/or humor, I will be starting my very own AU story, _**A FairyTaile**_. __And some time after I finish those, I have solid plans to produce yet another Fairy Tail story, _**Repulse**_._

_Keep an eye out for all of the above; for more information, you can go to my profile page. __Until then, au revoir! Thanks again for reading and reviewing!_

_Oh, also, you should know: Mashima Hiro owns Fairy Tail, not me_.

* * *

**A Most Powerful Magic**

**by: SmurfLuvsCookies**

Makarov was wise, but he didn't pretend like he knew everything. In fact, at eighty-something years of age, he still considered himself a child in the world. It wasn't every day that he was taken by surprise, but there were those rare moments that shocked him into deep contemplation. Most of the time, these precious moments were sparked by his guild.

They were proof that Makarov still had much to learn. Young mages striving for adventure, knowledge, and friendship, all the while growing stronger and wiser with each passing day. They each came with their own painful story and they prepared for the hurt that was inevitably to come, but that was not to say they were afraid of it. They surged on with their lives like determined soldiers, supporting each other unconditionally despite their quirks, their differences, and their pasts. By looking at them, you wouldn't be able to tell how much weight they each really carried on their shoulders.

Truthfully, the mages of Fairy Tail had never been children. No, the things they'd weathered had made them so much older, aged them beyond their years. Yet somehow they also seemed to cling to their childish mannerisms, cloaking themselves in the simplicity of a young mindset.

Now, Makarov was beginning to see the first signs that his children were really growing up.

Over the course of a few months, something had happened at the guild; it was a subtle shift in atmosphere, something imperceptible to those who were not attentive. It took Makarov days to figure it out, but on February 14th, he finally did.

It was Natsu devouring his box of chocolates while Lucy pursed her lips at the hand-made card. It was Juvia hiring an orchestra for Gray's arrival that morning. It was Gajeel's flushed face as he hooked the necklace around Levy's throat. It was Alzack's stuttering as he asked Bisca to be his Valentine. It was Evergreen's delighted surprise when Elfman actually remembered the event. It was Mirajane's smile as Fried helped with the decorations, and it was Bixlow's look of horror when he saw that Lisanna had tied pink ribbons on all of his dolls.

It was his children. They were falling in love.

Makarov blinked at the absurdity of it all; the kids who ran rambunctiously through the guild, coupling up and beginning that quest for their other half? It seemed impossible that so much time had passed so quickly, that the first stages of life's greater journey had arrived. When did it happen? Where did the time go?

Despite himself, Makarov was rather sad to see it happen. He knew he shouldn't have been, but he was just the same. He remembered himself at that age, dipping his toes into what would be one of the most difficult, painful things he ever endured. But then, the greatest rewards always had the worst risk. He could only prepare for what things lay ahead, set his children up to be the best that they could be, and hope for the best.

No matter what happened, Makarov knew for sure that nothing could ever tear Fairy Tail apart. He had nothing to worry about on that account. Makarov had seen magic of many calibers, but nothing could compare to the magic that held Fairy Tail together, that kept them all from collapsing from the weight of the world on their shoulders. It was a magic that ensured that, while it's members would all eventually leave the halls, Fairy Tail's legacy would live on, burning bright in the sky.

So Makarov sat back and watched the Valentine's Day proceedings with a tender smile, pushing the troubles of the years to come from his mind. Fairy Tail, his children; they had nothing to worry about. He, Makarov, had nothing to worry about. The magic that was the very essence of Fairy Tail was something irrefutably powerful, the greatest force on the face of the earth.

The funny thing is, you don't have to be one on the Ten Wizard Saints or something to wield this magic. You don't even have to be a mage. All you have to do is open your heart, unconditionally and genuinely, and it is then that you will truly witness the most powerful magic in the universe:

Love.

* * *

**A Most Powerful Magic - End**


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